


Zoo

by Tracey450



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Animal Attack, Gen, Hurt Danny, Steve Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-10
Updated: 2018-04-16
Packaged: 2019-01-31 14:06:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 31,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12683445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tracey450/pseuds/Tracey450
Summary: A trip to the zoo for Danny and his kids doesn't go as planned. A Danny/OC centric story. Danny whump. Steve angst. Not a team fic.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story is Danny centric. Steve doesn't appear until well into the story and there's very little team. You have been warned. 
> 
> Roscoe, Kumi, Nalu, Ke'aloha, Kibale, Boo, Tatu, Konakona, and Puiwa are the real life chimpanzees of the Honolulu Zoo. None of them were harmed in the writing of this story. I would like to point out I'm not a chimpanzee expert, my only knowledge of zoos is from visiting them, and I'm not a vet or a medical professional. 
> 
> A huge thank you to Phoebe Miller for her amazing editing skills and awesome suggestions. 
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any of the characters.

"Hey, let me have a look." Danny couldn't help but grin as he attempted to take the crumpled brochure from Charlie's hand. His son reminded him of Grace at that age.

"I found them." Charlie tightened his grip. A look of determination on his face.

Grace sighed loudly. "That’s a picture of a gorilla, Charlie.”

“It's not.” Charlie stood on tiptoes and shouted up at his sister.

“I told you already, they're next to the Manyara bird sanctuary." Grace sat down on a nearby bench and rolled her eyes dramatically. “This is taking forever.”

"Yes, I heard you the first time." Danny struggled to keep his voice low, his exasperation starting to show.

"And how come you never brought me here?"

Danny raised his eyebrows, shaking his head in bewilderment. _What happened to his sweet little girl?_ "Really? You don't know the answer to that question?"

Grace shrugged her shoulders. "Mum and Step-Stan used to bring me all the time."

The mention of Rachel and Stan had Danny chewing on his bottom lip. He had learned over the years to temper his response to these type of comments from his daughter.

"You were more interested in swimming or spending time at Uncle Steve's house than elephants or chimpanzees."

"Here, Danno." Charlie waved the paper in the air. "I give up."

Danny studied the zoo's layout for a second. "Your sister's right. It's along this path, on the left."

"I told you so." Grace sing-songed. With a flick of her long dark hair she stood up and purposely strode away.

"Yeah, but me and Charlie would have found them eventually. Wouldn't we Tiger?" Danny held out his hand and Charlie enthusiastically high-fived his dad.

"I'm hungry, Danno." Charlie whined.

"Me too, buddy." Danny stopped momentarily to take another look at the map.

"There's a snack bar opposite the chimps." Grace shouted. She was now way ahead of her dad and brother.

Danny shook his head and stuffed the brochure in the back pocket of his jeans. He grabbed Charlie's hand and gave it a gentle tug. "Come on, we'd better catch up to your big sister."

H50 H50 H50 H50 H50

"You never mentioned anything about me leaving him here with you." Carrie Chapman reached for her seven year old son. Heavily pregnant, she winced slightly as the movement sent a twinge of pain down her spine.  "Joe, Mommy will take you to get a burger."

"I want to stay with Daddy. He promised to let me feed the giraffes." The red haired boy jumped up and down excitedly in front of his dad.

"Daddy's working." Carrie took the boy's hand. "I'll take you to see the giraffes after we've eaten."

"But Daddy promised." Tears welled up in Joe's eyes, and his lips began to quiver.

They stood at the side of the pathway leading visitors around the attractions at the Honolulu Zoo.

“Hey, don't go getting upset. Daddy's still gonna take his special little guy to see _all_ the animals.”  Dominic Chapman spoke to his son in a sweet little voice all the while glaring at his wife.  

“This is _not_ what we planned. You just wanted to say hi.”  

Chapman shoved both hands in his shorts’ pockets. “I specifically asked you to bring him today so he could see me at work."

"You stink of booze, Dom. How are you even working?"

"That's rich. Our unborn child hasn't stopped you from drinking. And you don't give it a second thought when you're lighting up. That's right. I know you didn't quit."

"How would you know? You were never around even before I threw you out." Carrie unconsciously rubbed her tummy.

Joe wriggled free of his mother's hold and used the back of his hand to wipe his runny nose. He looked from one parent to the other, tears streaming down his cheeks, forgotten between them as they continued to throw accusations at one another. Suddenly, Dominic grabbed his son’s wrist and headed toward the chimpanzee viewing area.

"I forgot to mention. Joe's living with me now." Dominic  glared over his shoulder as he walked away pulling the boy along with him.

"Let him go, Dom. You're gonna hurt him." Carrie rushed forward and clawed at her husband's arm in an attempt to stop him.

Dominic shoved Carrie almost knocking her to the ground. A few passersby watched, but no one intervened.

"Mommy." Joe fought against his father's strong grip as he was hauled along, his feet barely touching the ground.

"Dom, no! Leave him alone. Somebody help, please! He's taking my son." Carrie pleaded with those around her.

Nearby families ushered their children away, many of them tourists, reluctant to get involved in what looked like a domestic dispute. Others pulled out their cell phones to take video.

"Hey, why don't you do as the lady asked?" A middle aged man approached. "You're upsetting your son."

"Get the fuck away from me. This is between me and my wife." Dominic practically growled the last word. Giving his son’s arm a sharp tug as he continued to squirm.

"Then let the kid go." The man wasn't perturbed by Dominic's aggressive stance and planted himself in front of Carrie.

Dominic now stood with his back to the screen which separated the chimpanzee enclosure from the public. Sweating profusely, he reached behind his back, lifting the hem of his shirt.

"You're h-hurt-ing m-me, daddy." Joe hiccupped. He was practically hanging by one arm unable to break free of his father's fierce hold.

"Harming a child and a pregnant woman make you feel like a big man, huh?" The guy pointed to Joe and took a couple of steps towards Dominic.

"Chapman, what the hell's going on?" Another member of staff rounded the corner wearing the same green polo shirt and beige shorts as Dominic. The guy held a walkie talkie in his hand.

"Keep out of this Monroe. It's between Carrie and me."

"I won't. Not when you should be working. Let Joe go or I'll call security."

Monroe keyed the radio, but stopped short when he recognized the black grip of a gun protruding from Dominic's waistband.

Losing patience, the good samaritan made a grab for the boy. Dominic reacted instantly, letting go of Joe and swinging a semi-automatic pistol in the guy's face. "Back off."

H50 H50 H50 H50 H50

Joe was finally released from his father's painful clutches, but instead of running he jammed himself behind his dad's long legs. Face pressed up against the plexiglass, he peered at the one chimpanzee sitting and watching the commotion.

He attempted to block out the angry voices and his mother's sobs by bringing both hands up to cover his ears. Joe did his best to focus on the brown eyes staring back at him. The chimps were quiet compared to the grown ups. He pictured the animals looking in on caged adults. The corners of his mouth turned up slightly at that errant thought.

"Puiwa." Joe mouthed the word, his warm breath misting the glass.

Joe loved the zoo’s animals. Blackie the bear and Mari the elephant were two of his favorites, but  the chimps were at the top of his list, and he could remember all of their names. His eyes roamed the barren landscape until he spotted the others all gathered together by their very own climbing area, ropes and tires swaying overhead. _Roscoe, Kumi, Nalu, Ke'aloha, Kibale, Boo, Tatu, Konakona._

"Puiwa." Joe said the last name out loud this time. His eyes once again came to rest on that single chimp sitting in front of him.

H50 H50 H50 H50 H50

"Take it easy." The man took a full step back, hands raised high.

"This is your fault, Carrie. I knew you would do this, cause a scene. So I came prepared." Dominic aimed the gun at Monroe. "Open the gate."

"No way. You crazy sonuvabitch."

"Yeah, crazy enough to put a bullet between your eyes if you don't do as I ask." Dominic closed the gap between them, pressing the cool steel against Monroe's temple.

Monroe's hands trembled as he punched in the code for the security gate to the side of the viewing platform. The second the lock clicked open Dominic snatched Joe's hand and dragged him into the chimpanzee's domain. Carrie's screams could barely be heard above the roar of the now frenzied animals.

H50 H50 H50 H50 H50

Charlie ignored his dad's demands not to look. He was mesmerized, and maybe a little scared - not that he'd admit it - by the chaotic scene ahead. Visitors to the park were leaving in droves by the nearest exits, while his dad stood at his side talking animatedly to his sister.

"Do as I ask, Grace. Uncle Steve and the rest of the team are on their way. I told him you'd be waiting in the administration office. A member of staff will take you there." Danny shot a quick glance at Charlie. "What did I say? Turn around."

Charlie did as he was told.  Huffing loudly and letting his shoulders slump forward to demonstrate his disappointment.

"Why can't you wait? You don't have your gun. Please Danno. HPD will be here any second." Grace pleaded with her father.

"Grace you know why. I can't risk someone getting shot. Anyhow I'm not going in unarmed."

"It's not a real gun. And have you seen the size of those things?"

"Danno, do you think they'll let you pet them?" Charlie's face lit up in anticipation of the answer.

"Don't be so dumb, Charlie." Grace looked away, blinking rapidly in a vain attempt not to cry.

Her change in demeanor didn't go unnoticed. Danny felt a wave of guilt wash over him. Yet another day with his children affected by his job. "Hey, give your dad a hug. I'll be fine."

"Please be careful." Grace rested her head against her dad's chest letting her tears wet his t-shirt. "And save the little boy."

Danny squeezed her tight before letting go and bending down to embrace Charlie. "Stay close to Grace, buddy."

Grace took a tissue from her purse and wiped her eyes before taking her brother's hand.

"I'll take care of them, Detective Williams." The female staffer gave the two children a sympathetic smile.

"Thank you." Danny watched the small group walk away.

"Detective Williams. We have everything ready to go." A member of the zoo's emergency weapons team held up a tranquilizer gun.

 **~ to be continued ~**  
  
  



	2. Chapter 2

Danny rubbed his sweaty palms on his t-shirt before once again picking up the weapon he'd been given. He'd entered from the eastern side of the enclosure, along the vehicle access road, and was now ensconced in the only area of long grass to be found.

The zoo's emergency briefing had been short and sweet. Staff protocols for unauthorised breaches had been thrown out with the trash. Gun wielding maniacs weren't part of the job, but they were for Danny, and nine, two hundred pound chimpanzees weren't going to stop him from saving the child.

Any bravado he may have had evaporated the second he entered their domain. He quickly realized he was out of his depth and maybe, just maybe, a little scared. He'd watched experienced keepers perform a well practised procedure to transfer the chimps into their holding pen. The move hadn't gone well. The chimps had become hostile, their senses heightened. It had left one staffer with a fractured wrist and four out of the nine chimps still in the enclosure. The commotion had afforded Danny the distraction he needed to get in, but his arrival had not gone unnoticed. He could feel a pair of eyes on him, causing the hairs on the back of his neck to stand up. He had become the hunted.  

Danny was thankful his new friend was on the other end of the radio. Jess was Dominic’s trainee keeper. Working under the expert guidance of the man for almost four months, she was well versed in everything chimp. Danny had been impressed with her from the start. Only nineteen years of age, but very mature - an old head on young shoulders.  Dominic was the chimpanzees' primary caregiver and had been for a staggering twenty-two years. Like Jess, he started there in his late teens, and it was only that saving grace that had kept Dominic from being ripped apart when he’d stepped into their territory.

"Detective Williams, can you hear me?" The soft voice was barely audible above the din being created by his newly acquired companions. Tires and thick tree branches were hurled in all directions, as the chimps acted up like a bunch of out of control kids.

“You might wanna speak up, these guys are loud." He flinched as another round of shrill screams erupted. "And call me Danny."

"Okay, Danny. That better?" There was a hint of excitement in her tone at the use of his name.

The way she said Danny made him smile. He thought it cute. "Perfect. Now Jess, I need to get closer to Dominic and Joe. You're going to be my guide."

"You're kidding, right? If you don't get mauled first, Dom will shoot you."

"I'll be fine. Anyhow, I don't have much choice. He's already tossed his cell. I need to get close if I'm gonna have any chance of talking him down."

"I don't like it. But hey, it's your funeral."

Danny giggled. He really liked this girl. "Shit. You sound like me."

Jess cleared her throat. "Excuse me?"

"Sorry. I'm starting to understand how my partner feels."

"I can't wait to meet him." She deadpanned.

He wiped his brow on the back of his hand, before keying the walkie again. "Tell me what you see? And what do I need to know about these chimps?"

"I'm at the viewing area. I have a clear line of sight to Dom and Joe. The rock like structure they're on separates this habitat from the bird sanctuary."

"That's why he chose that spot. He has both areas covered."

"We now know Dom planned this or at the very least expected he might end up here. You see that electric wiring running along the length of the boundary? It's been disabled."

"I'd suggest turning it back on, but it's too risky with Joe there." Danny was unable to comprehend how a father could put his son in such danger. His heart ached for the young boy.

"The guys here thought the same. Danny, whatever you're planning, you need to do it soon. It was installed after Puiwa tried to escape using that same wall. That's the puzzle the group are now trying to solve. How did the humans climb to the top without getting hurt? You see that lone chimp attempting to scale to the barrier only to stop near the wire before jumping back down?"

He shifted slightly to get a better view. "Yeah. Let me guess, that's Puiwa."

"Yep. The youngest of the group. An eighteen year old tearaway, always fighting or misbehaving. He's one you need to watch. Him and Kibale. Kibale is the alpha male."

"He the one that keeps glancing in my direction?" Danny ducked his head as the chimp took another look.

"No that's Roscoe. He was the alpha male until he broke his leg. He's had the most human contact of them all, and probably the only one you'd be safe with. "

"So he won't kill me?"

"I wouldn't say that."

"That's comforting." Closing his eyes, he blew out a calming breath.

"Honestly, I've been in physical contact with them individually. Dom's been in the enclosure with them all, but in their current agitated state I doubt even he's safe."

Danny examined the weapon he held. It resembled an air rifle. "How effective is this gun? The vet didn't seem overly confident when he was handing it to me."

"Last resort, Danny. The drugs can take up to forty five minutes to take effect and there's a risk to the animal." Jess paused before continuing. "I love these over grown monkeys. I don't want to see them hurt because of Dom."

He didn't immediately respond. Jess' words making what he was about to suggest even harder. "If I was to shoot one of them, how would the others react?"

"How would you respond if one of your team was hit?"

Danny sighed loudly. "I hear you, but my options are limited and I'm running out of time."

“Three men and a woman, all dressed in tac gear just arrived. I'm guessing that's your team?"

"Hey, Dom's on the move." Danny watched as the man moved along the wall, hauling Joe with him. The boy stumbled, landing hard on his knees and hands. Anger bubbled up in his chest as Dom backhanded Joe. Instead of helping him, he stepped over his son before reaching back and dragging the now distraught boy behind him. The chimps appeared strangely disturbed by what they'd seen, running around in a state of hysteria.

"Jess, do you know why Carrie threw Dom out?" He had to shout into the mic.

"Not exactly. I could guess after what we just witnessed. I know he wasn't happy about having another kid."

"Did you say my team is here?"

"Yep. Is the tall dude your partner?"

"Why?" Danny rubbed the back of his neck.

"Man, he's not happy."

"Does he have aneurysm face?"

Jess couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah. I guess that's what you could call it”

As if on cue Danny's cell vibrated in his pocket. He took a deep breath before answering. "Steve."

"Danny. Why didn't you wait like I asked?" Steve's tone held a sharp edge to it.

"We don't have time for this now and we didn't then." Danny retorted angrily.

"Which is exactly why Kono is setting up shop in the bird sanctuary. We need to end this now, buddy."

"Whoa. Hold on a second. You can't seriously be considering taking the man out in front of his seven year old son. You have to let me talk to the guy."

"Get outta there, Danny." Steve replied tersely.

"I've been here less than ten minutes. All I'm asking for is another ten max. Chapman's nearer my location now. He put some distance between himself and Puiwa."

"Puiwa?!” Steve huffed out a breath “You're on first name terms already?"

Danny opened his mouth to respond, hesitating when he caught sight of someone in his peripheral vision. "Tell Kono to stand down."

Cutting the call to Steve, Danny fumbled for the radio he'd dropped on the ground. “Stupid, stupid, stupid.”

He'd been caught off guard by the arrival of unexpected help. "What the hell do you think you're doing? You trying to get yourself killed?"

"Trying to help. Which is more than can be said of your partner." Jess edged her way towards Dominic, who looked almost as shocked as Danny to see her there. Dominic waved the gun in her direction as she offered him the handheld device.

In one fluid motion Danny pushed up from his spot, aiming his gun at Dominic. There was no time for negotiations. “Drop your weapon.”

Danny edged closer to Dominic keenly aware of Joe's close proximity to his father.

Making a snap decision, Danny fired the instant Dominic took his shot. Before the dart even struck home, Danny was blind-sided, knocked across the dusty terrain.

**~ to be continued ~**   
  
  



	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a first for me. I've never given a whole chapter over to a character of my own making. Apologies for the lack of Danny, but I promise he will be back in the next chapter.

Jess stood on the viewing platform, bouncing on her toes impatiently, as she watched Dominic drag Joe along the wall and out of her sight. Glancing at the walkie in her hand, her thoughts immediately went to Danny. Her concern for the man was overwhelming, even though she scarcely knew him. Time was running out and she was his only backup.

 _Backup._ That one word threw her overwrought brain in reverse, to moments earlier, and the appearance of Danny's _real_ backup.

_The blare of sirens and the sound of screeching tires had signaled the arrival of the Governor's task force and HPD.  It hadn't taken her long to work out which one was Commander McGarrett.  The instant he jumped out of his white Silverado he’d started barking orders._

_An imposing figure, he towered over most of the officers and zoo personnel. His short-sleeved shirt showed off bulging biceps and just a glimpse of tattoos, while his tight fitting TAC vest and cargo pants rounded out the look. He reminded her of a toy her brother played with as a kid. Some sort of action figure. But the look on his face wasn't playful at all._

She'd caught snippets of conversation between the commander and his team. Nothing she heard filled her with the confidence to think that this would end without bloodshed.

Jess couldn't help wondering how these two men could be friends. In the brief time she'd been at his side, Danny was everything she imagined this other man not to be. A doting father, heroic and kind-hearted man, and an unflinchingly loyal friend.

 _Aneurysm face._ Danny had a knack of injecting humor into a conversation. No doubt a coping mechanism. Hers was unquestionably the need to be in constant motion. That need was now fed by the high octane fuel pumping through her veins - adrenaline.

Jess watched the commander thumb the call button on his cell as he paced nearby. The second he was deep in conversation, she made her move. Jogging along the perimeter of the Manyara bird sanctuary, she slowed when she spotted the female member of Five-0. She scowled at the Hawaiian officer who was setting up what looked to her like a sniper rifle along the grass border. Clenching her hand into a tight fist, Jess dug what little nails she had into her skin. It took all of her resolve to push down the furious tirade she badly wanted to unleash on the woman. This show of firepower felt wrong. An overkill.

Sticking close to the fence, Jess headed for the sanctuary’s entrance, using the thick foliage as cover. She paused to look over her shoulder, making sure she hadn't been seen before tapping a code into the keypad. The security gate unlocked and she pushed it open just enough so she could slip through, pulling it closed behind her.

Jess always found this habitat to be a beautiful place. Set in a walk-in enclosure, the smaller birds could fly freely overhead, singing to one another, creating sweet music for their guests. But today that serenity had been extinguished by the screams of Jess' beloved chimps. Now the trees were empty. The normally vibrant birds hidden away in the deepest recesses of their home. She reached the gate at the far end of the enormous cage and tapped in her security code. A few feet on the other side of the aviary stood the rocky boundary, the only obstacle left between her and Danny.

The structure was 15 ft high - a piece of cake for Jess. She'd climbed walls twice that height at her gym. Hooking the small radio onto the waistband of her shorts, she began her ascent, heart in her throat. She jammed her fingers into whatever handholds she could find, and she hauled herself upwards, her sneakers finding enough grip to keep her from falling. Not exactly dressed appropriately for the task, her bare legs scraped painfully on the rough surface, but she didn't care. Danny needed her. With only a few feet to go, she picked up the pace until she finally pulled herself up, hot and breathless, at the top.

Jess gingerly straightened and moved towards Dominic. He hadn't yet noticed her, too distracted by Joe's continued cries to see his mom. Edging closer she pulled out the radio, suddenly unsure of what to do. Talking to Danny now would attract Dominic's attention. She scolded herself for being so brash. So desperate to give Danny the means to communicate with the man, she had failed to think it through. _How the hell did she expect to give Dom the radio without engaging him?_

Danny's voice emanated from the device, causing her to flinch at the unexpected sound. "What the hell do you think you're doing? You trying to get yourself killed?"

"Trying to help. Which is more than can be said of your partner." Jess spoke through gritted teeth, trying to keep her voice low.

But she wasn’t quiet enough.

Startled, Dominic spun around. "What the fuck!"

Jess stared wide-eyed at him, unable to breathe for a few seconds. She held the device up with an unsteady hand. "Detective Williams wants to talk to you."

Movement down below caught Jess' attention and she glanced over to Danny's location.

“Drop your weapon.” Danny yelled. She was stunned to see him stalk forward, weapon aimed at Dominic.

Jess tried to shout a warning, but the words were lodged in her throat when the hot trail of a bullet passed by her face. In a state of shock she could only watch as Kibale ran at Danny hitting him so hard he was thrown across the enclosure.

H50 H50 H50 H50 H50

Joe bit his bottom lip to keep quiet as he sat with legs folded tight against his chest, both arms wrapped around them tightly. His dad paced nervously in front of him. He could still feel the sting of his dad's hand on his cheek, and his throat hurt due to his continued pleas to see his mom. All he wanted was to be back with her. She never hurt him.

Staring intently at the cuts and scrapes scarring both his knees Joe attempted to stop crying, fearful that his father would strike him again if he didn't. Occasionally a holler from the chimps made him jump. He closed his eyes and prayed it was all make-believe. Just like in his comics.

 _"Jess."_ The name popped into his head the second he heard her voice. Only it wasn't how he remembered it. She sounded scared just like him. And this frightened him even more. He raised his head slightly to steal a look, but his anguish soon turned to horror when he saw Puiwa coming towards Jess. The chimp was almost in touching distance of her when the explosive sound of a gunshot erupted, ringing painfully in his ears.

Unable to hear his own screams over the loud buzzing, Joe watched Puiwa slump to the ground. Without warning his view was blocked by his father, who came barreling towards him like an out of control freight train, a dart sticking out of his chest. Joe's small frame was no match for the bone crushing weight of his dad. Grabbed by the neck of his shirt, he squeezed his eyes shut as he was dragged along the rough surface of the wall. The skin on his bare legs and arms rubbed raw until he felt himself falling. He plummeted to the ground, limbs flailing uselessly, until a jarring impact sent him into a dark oblivion.  

H50 H50 H50 H50 H50

Barely holding it together, Jess part climbed and fell down the wall towards where Dominic and Joe had fallen into the chimps domain. Tears streamed down her face, her whole body shaking uncontrollably. If she stopped she was sure she'd collapse in a heap on the floor, maybe even throw up.

The shrill yells from the chimps were nothing she'd ever experienced. They'd started the second Puiwa had been shot. The chimp’s arm now hung limply, the bullet hitting just below his shoulder. Somehow he'd made it back into the enclosure and was now surrounded by his community. Her heart ached for her beloved animals, but the incident had at least distracted Kibale.

The alpha male seemed torn between finishing his prey and tending to Puiwa. Jess realized very quickly that this was her only chance. She had to act now.

With her anxiety skyrocketing, she hit the ground running. Jess skirted around the motionless bodies of Joe and his dad. Stopping to check either of them would undoubtedly cost them all their lives. She skidded to a halt, kicking up dust, the tranquilizer gun at her feet.

Dropping to her knees, she let out a strangled sob. "No, please God no."

She scanned her surroundings for darts, and when she didn't immediately see any she grabbed the empty weapon with both hands and in a fit of anguish and rage smashed it repeatedly on the ground. Just as her world began to crumble Jess caught a glimpse of Danny in her peripheral vision. He lay close by, sprawled on his back. Seeing him, her reason for being there, spurred her on. Suddenly the memory of when this all started hit her - the small patch of scrubland.

Getting to her feet, she gave Danny another quick glance. Bile rose up into her mouth at the sight of her new friend. Blood soaked his shirt and from the short distance across the enclosure she could see a gaping wound to his arm. Kibale hadn't yet continued his assault, but he still had a hand tightly wrapped around Danny's ankle. Seemingly keeping his quarry in check while maintaining a watchful eye on his family.

Jess reached the area of brush where Danny had been hiding. If she could find at least one dart it might be enough to take Kibale down or at least give him something else to focus on. Only minutes had passed but she prayed help was on the way.

After frantically scouring the vicinity for what seemed a lifetime, Jess struck gold - not one, but two darts lay in the long grass. Using her arm to hold the gun against her side she struggled to load the chamber. Nerves getting the better of her. Drawing in a deep breath and sending up a silent prayer, shoddy nerves threatened to get the best of her desperate task again. This time the dart slid in and she let out a relieved sigh.

Bringing the butt of the rifle up to her shoulder, she took aim. Kibale stood with his back to her, his  attention once more on Danny. The large chimp screamed. Jess knew that signalled hostility. Running out of time, she pulled the trigger.   

 **~ to be continued ~**  



	4. Chapter 4

_ Kibale struck Danny hard. The attack was a shock to his system, and he lost all control, slamming into the ground without even an attempt to stop his momentum. Everything blanked out for a few seconds, as the wind was knocked out of him, and he landed face down in the dirt. The dropped tranquilizer gun lay just feet away, completely useless to him now. _

_ Danny's mind swam with half-formed images of wild animals and a red-haired boy. He could feel his heart pounding against his abused ribs as he gasped for breath. Strange fingers wrapped around his wrist with a bone crushing intensity. His arm was wrenched behind him, jerking him upwards before smashing him back down again. Pain erupted in his right shoulder, but instead of screaming out Danny coughed violently, almost to the point of choking, as dirt stuck to the inside of his mouth like peanut butter. _

_ He battled to turn over, but Kibale held him down. His powerful hands pushing down on Danny's sternum.  The chimp cocked his head to one side and sniffed the air, intrigued by his new toy. Tears pricked Danny's eyes as this new reality hit him. He was going to die here. He was no match for Kibale's superior strength. _

_ Thoughts of Grace and Charlie made his heart ache as his body weakened, and just as he was about to pass out, the beast released him. It was as if he sensed his prey was about to lose consciousness. Danny immediately twisted onto his side retching and spitting the little moisture he had from his mouth. _

_ He gulped down several lungfuls of air, the nauseating pain making itself known once more.  Danny glanced up, making eye contact with the chimp. In desperation he stretched his hand out hoping upon hope Kibale would back away, instead he opened his mouth and bared his teeth, letting out a guttural scream. _

_ Trapped by his failing body Danny could only watch in horror as sharp teeth sank into his arm. The sight of his own blood oozing from the animal's jaws was blurred by his own tears. He wanted nothing more than the darkness to take him, to end the excruciating pain, but some cruel fate kept him very much aware as the flesh was ripped from his body. Giving no reprieve Kibale came at him again, this time his teeth raked down Danny's neck and chest tearing the skin away. White hot fire ran the length of Danny's torso like napalm, but thankfully this time he escaped into oblivion. _

H50 H50 H50 H50 H50

By some miracle Jess had managed to load the second dart. She closed the gap between herself and Kibale. Her first shot still protruded from his back. It had done no more than distract him. When Kibale loosened his grip she expected Danny to move but instead he lay motionless.

"Hey! Kibale." Jess raised the weapon and took aim. She needed to make this shot count. Before today she'd never even fired a gun. Her only knowledge was gleaned from watching the zoo's firearms guys on their practice drills. "Come on, boy. Come to Jess."

Jess knew in all likelihood he wouldn't just stroll over to her, all jovial like her best pal. She was taking a big risk. If the two hundred pound alpha male came at her, he would do so to defend himself and she wouldn't stand a chance. However, Jess was on a mission - save Danny and Joe whatever the cost to herself.

Kibale turned to face her. Stretching to full height with his hair standing on end making him look bigger than he was. He stamped his feet and looked poised to add another human to his prey tally.  However a slight movement and a muffled whine from Joe momentarily distracted Kibale. With her next breath, Jess pulled the trigger, hitting the chimp in the neck. She prayed he'd leave the boy alone. But that meant only one thing.

Jess froze, anticipating an attack. Those eyes focused on her were filled with anger. Surely, she'd just killed herself. There was nowhere to go, no way she could out pace him. Kibale moved toward her with what she could only describe as a very human frown - like she'd disappointed him. Of all the things to think about right before her impending death. 

But he didn't charge. Instead, his movements were slow and deliberate. His knuckles dragged along the ground, and he stumbled a little. Jess trembled as she realized the first dart appeared to be working. This wasn't over yet. They still had a chance.

Before Kibale hit the ground, Jess was moving, fueled by the sheer power of hope and adrenaline.She headed straight for Joe, sidestepping the stricken animal and then crouched beside the boy even though she was well aware of Danny's potentially life threatening injures. The child had to take priority. She took comfort in the fact that Danny wouldn't want it any other way.

"Joe, honey can you hear me?" He was lying on his side in a fetal position. Both hands covered his face, muffling his sobs.

Jess eased one hand away revealing a large purple blue lump on his forehead. "Does your head hurt?"

He slowly nodded in response one hand still clamped tight to his face, the one eye she could see was still squeezed shut.

"Hey, little guy. I need to check you. Will you let me do that?" After seeing another slight nod of his head Jess ran her hands over his slender body and along his arms and legs. Happy she'd taken an intense first aid course only recently. "Do you hurt anywhere else?"

Joe slowly opened his eyes. "My ankle."

Jess carefully felt around both ankles one at a time. Joe flinched when she touched his left one. "Sorry. Sit up for me."

Without answering, Joe pushed himself up into a sitting position. As Jess guided him, she noticed him cast a fearful glance toward his dad. Dominic lay face down in the dirt next to them.

"Is my dad alright?"

Jess reached over and snagged Dominic's wrist, letting out a relieved breath when she felt a pulse. "Yeah, he's gonna be fine. He's just sleeping."

A single tear tracked down Joe's cheek as he pointed at Danny. "Did that man shoot him with one of those special darts?"

"Yeah, Joe. He was trying to keep you safe. The medicine in them will make your dad sleep for a while."

"He dead?"

"No, but he needs my help, and I need you to watch the chimps. Can you do that?" Jess rubbed circles on Joe's back trying to keep him calm.

"Yeah." Joe studied her face, eager to help.

They both looked at the three animals huddled together on the other side of the enclosure. The chimps had grown eerily quiet. Somehow the sudden silence unnerved her more than the violent attack. She didn't know what to expect next, but she took a deep breath and willed herself to remain focused. "They're scared  just like you and me, but I want you to be brave now. If they come towards us, tell me. Can you do that?"

"Yeah." Joe never took his eyes off them.

"Good boy, Joe." Jess kissed the top of his head before leaving him.

H50 H50 H50 H50 H50

Danny lay only a few feet away. Whilst Jess had been tending to Joe, she’d noticed him moving, slowly becoming aware.

"Danny, can you hear me?" Jess leaned in close. She could feel the warmth of Danny's blood wetting her knees as she knelt by his side. A pair of pain filled eyes looked up at her.

"Joe? Is he..." His voice trailed off as he tried to lift his head.

"He's good. A few bumps. Maybe a sprained ankle, but he's alive." She suddenly felt out of her depth as she was now confronted with Danny's injuries up close.

"That's good."

"I need to take a look at your arm. Stop the bleeding." She stripped off her T-shirt revealing a lacy pink bra. "Keep those baby blues on my face, Danny."

"I'll try." His smile melted into more of a grimace.

Jess used her teeth to tear the material. She inspected the wound, blanching at what looked like bone exposed by the torn flesh, blood steadily seeping out.

"I’m not gonna lie to you. It’s bad, and this is gonna hurt."

His eyes met hers, and they flickered with understanding. He was tough, and god she hoped she could do this. Because in this moment, with blood smeared on her hands and under her fingernails, she didn't know if she could do anything.

"It's ok. Do it." He whispered so softly she thought the words were inside her head.

She lifted his arm just enough, and he cried out, like he was surprised by the intensity of the pain. Gritting her teeth, she pushed forward with her task and wrapped the wound on his forearm. The pale green shirt quickly changing to a deep crimson.

"Sorry. Help will be here soon. You need to hang in there."

Danny eyes began to slide shut.

"Hey, don't you dare. You stay awake. I'll let you look if it keeps you awake."

"'k, pretty. You have pick..." He slurred.

Jess used what was left of her shirt to put pressure on the lacerations running along his neck and onto his collarbone. This time Danny simply groaned. His glassy eyes meeting hers. She saw a mixture of fear and pain.

"Pretty? You talking about my bra?" She struggled to maintain her composure. Unshed tears blurred her vision.

"You. Pick of the boys?" His breathing had become labored.

"No, no boyfriend." She blushed.

Jess focused on the wad of material in her hand. Unsure of what to say next. She was losing him and felt helpless to stop it.

"You're wrong about Steve. He's..." His words ended on a raspy cough.

"Save your strength. No more talking."

To get her to look him in the eye, Danny reached up with his good hand touching her bare shoulder. "My best friend."

She smiled in understanding. "What did I say? Now shush."  

“Roscoe!” Joe yelled.

Jess turned to glimpse a wide-eyed Joe with his shaky hand pointing across the enclosure. Panic flooded her senses as she watched the chimp run towards them at a frightening pace.

**~ to be continued ~**


	5. Chapter 5

Joe had yelled the second Roscoe started toward them. In a demonstration of power, the chimp smacked the ground with his powerful hands, grabbing onto anything within his reach to hurl. Jess shifted her upper body to shield Danny from flying branches and rocks. She momentarily squeezed her eyes shut bracing herself for the imminent attack. A projectile glanced off her back causing her to lose balance. Danny groaned, the injury to his neck taking some of her body weight as Jess continued to add pressure in an attempt to stem the bleeding.

"Shit, Danny, I'm sorry." Jess steadied herself.

Another rock struck the back of Jess' head and her hand instinctively went to where the pain was most severe. She inhaled sharply when her fingers touched something sticky. Suddenly she felt dizzy and dry heaved. No longer able to kneel, she slumped down into a sitting position. Her heart rate increased as panic rose in her chest.

Through hazy vision, she watched Roscoe continue past them and proceed to circle Kibale, screaming and stomping his feet. The alpha male stood again as he continued to fight the drugs, but it didn't take Roscoe long to gain the upper hand. Striking Kibale several times. In his weakened state, the younger chimp was no match for his older and wiser counterpart and was soon forced into submission.

Jess let out a relieved breath when she realized they were safe, at least for now. She smiled at Danny, but her expression soon morphed into one of horror. Two vacant, unseeing eyes stared up at the clear blue sky.

"No! Don't you leave me." She grasped his shoulder and gave it a shake "God damn it. Don't you dare..."

Tears streamed down her cheeks. Jess dug her fingers into the dirt as she desperately tried to stay upright, the pounding in her head increasing to a debilitating level. She barely registered the roaring engines, the billowing dust kicked up by tires skidding to halt or the orders shouted by uniformed men and women as they exited their vehicles. Her whole body trembled on the verge of collapse when a pair of tattooed arms wrapped around her in a protective hold.

"Hey, take it easy. I got you. You're safe." The male voice spoke softly to her.

The world around Jess began to melt away as she felt herself comforted by a warm body. His breath tickling the top of her head as he spoke soothingly to her. Images were fleeting. Voices distant.  _ We have a pulse. BP's holding steady. Commander, we need to scoop and run.  _ She felt the person cocooning her relax a little.  _ Commander.   _ That title triggered a memory.   _ Aneurysm face _ . The corners of her mouth curved into a smile.

_ "Danny's alive, Steve."  _  The words formed in her mind but never passed her lips, and very soon her world turned to black.

H50 H50 H50 H50 H50

"I'm sure if you stare at that cup with any more intensity, it'll implode, Commander." A middle aged man dressed in green scrubs stood in the doorway to the waiting area.

Steve visibly jumped at the words. Spilling cold coffee on his pants. "Sorry, Doctor Freeman. I was miles away."

“Going by your worried expression I'd say it wasn't a pleasant place?”

“No. It's been a long night.” Steve stifled a yawn.

Doctor Freeman looked around at the now empty chairs. "Where is everyone? This room was full of Detective Williams' family and friends a few hours ago."

"I sent them home once we heard Danny was gonna be OK. It's almost morning. They've been up for nearly twenty four hours."

"As have you." The doctor sat down in a nearby seat.

"Yeah, well I'm the boss. And I can be very persuasive."

"No doubt. As much as I'm enjoying our little chat, I'm sure you'd rather hear about your partner."

Steve put the styrofoam cup on the floor by his feet before scrubbing his face with one hand in an attempt to rub away his fatigue. "Go ahead."

"I carried out debridement of the wounds and sutured the lacerations to his neck and chest to minimize scarring. The bite to his arm is deep, so I will keep it open to reduce the risk of infection. Culture swabs have been taken to identify any bacteria that may be present. Chimp bites, like human bites, can transmit diseases such as herpes and tetanus, among others. Until we get the results back, he will be on a broad spectrum antibiotic through an IV." Doctor Freeman paused, allowing Steve time to digest what he was saying. "He also has soft tissue damage to his left shoulder."

"What else? I sense there's more."

"This is my first chimpanzee bite. I've consulted with an expert on the mainland who's dealt with a couple of incidents. Now that I've seen the damage they can do, I have to say he got off light."

"I can only imagine."

"I repaired the muscle and tendon damage to his arm. Permanent loss of motion, weakness and stiffness are a distinct possibility. More surgery may be required to remove scar tissue or insert tendon grafts. It's a case of wait and see."

"Can I visit him?"

"Give the nurse time to settle him on the post surgical ward." Doctor Freeman got up to leave. "Someone will come and get you.."

"Thanks, doc." Steve stood to shake the doctor's hand.

H50 H50 H50 H50 H50

"Ten minutes. Your friend needs his rest." The nurse pulled the curtain across, giving them some privacy.

Steve was greeted by two bleary eyes. Danny's arm had been immobilized. Large white surgical dressings covered his neck and disappeared under his hospital gown.

"Hey, Danno. How you feeling?" Steve pulled up a chair and sat by the side of Danny's bed.

"Like someone's leftovers." Danny's voice was rough from sleep.

Steve gave him a disapproving look. "Not funny. You scared me half to death, Danno. I thought I'd lost you."

"Sorry." Danny scratched at the skin under the nasal cannula.

"Stop that. Lay your arm flat. Your fidgeting is messing with the IV."

Danny did as Steve asked. Too weak to argue. "Joe? He okay?"

"He's good. Thanks to you. Small bump to the head and a sprained ankle."

"And his dad?" Danny's words were spoken slowly and somewhat slurred.

"Just some decent shut eye, thanks to your quick thinking, and a few scratches. And before you ask, the chimps are all safe and well. One of them took a bullet to the arm, courtesy of Chapman, but the vet said it was just a graze, and he'll make a full recovery."

"Jess did good." Danny's eyes drifted shut.

"She sure did." Steve leaned forward and took Danny's good hand in his. "I should go. You need to rest."

Danny blinked his eyes open and frowned. "She okay?"

"Yeah, sleeping." Steve focused on their entwined hands, as he gently rubbed his thumb over his friend's knuckles.

"You'll like her." Danny squeezed Steve’s hand stopping his ministrations. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Danny, I need to -"

"Time's up, Commander." The nurse from earlier pushed the curtain back. "You can visit again in the morning. Detective Williams will hopefully be in his own room by then."

"We'll talk some more tomorrow, Danno." Steve forced a smile and rose from the chair.

"Hmm... Sounds good." Danny closed his eyes.

Steve left without saying another word. Once outside, he leaned against the wall and blew out a long breath. He pulled his cell from his cargo pants pocket and stared at the screen for a moment, lost in thought. Chatter from a nearby nurses' station caught his attention, bringing him back to the present. After sending a short text message to update the rest of the team he headed home.

**~ to be continued ~**


	6. Chapter 6

Steve headed toward the post op ward where he'd left his partner earlier.  A shower and swim had relaxed and revitalized him, but his happy demeanor evaporated with every purposeful stride. Standing outside waiting for him was his good friend, Sergeant Duke Lukela.

"What’s this all about Duke? I spoke to one of your officers on the way in, said you got a jumper. Not really Five-0 territory."

"Mr & Mrs Hollybrook flew in from LA overnight. They came straight here to see their daughter."

"No, no, no. Tell me they didn’t visit Danny?" Steve pushed against the door to the restricted area, fist thumping the small window pane when he was stopped in his tracks. A nurse on the other side gave him a quizzical look. He unhooked his badge and held it to the glass. "Five-0. Open up, please."

The door clicked open and Steve rushed in, Duke close behind him. "Steve, slow down. The charge nurse didn’t know. Miss Hollybrook’s parents wanted to visit him before they checked into their hotel."

"Where is he?" Steve stood at the foot of Danny's empty bed.

"Roof."  Duke said the one word softly as if he could hardly believe it himself.

Steve leaned forward, reaching out for the bed rail to steady himself. It felt like his heart had stopped, gripped by an icy hand as what he had already guessed became reality.  _ Danny was the jumper. _

“Apart from my two officers up top, I haven't told any of my men it's Danny.”

"How the hell did he get up there? When I left him, he was doped up on meds. He could barely string two words together." Steve ran towards the nearest elevator, Duke jogging alongside.

"The nurse said the last time she saw him was when she helped him to the toilet. There's fewer night staff, so he had a greater opportunity to exit the ward unseen."

" _ Helped _ ? Doesn't sound like he needed any." Steve stepped into the empty car. He stabbed the floor number panel impatiently.

"I told my guys to stand down until you arrived. They're waiting in the stairwell with medical personnel." Duke shouted the last few words as the doors to the elevator slid shut.

Steve arrived at the top floor, running along the corridor to the fire escape steps that led to the rooftop.  He bumped into the contingent Duke had mentioned.

"No one makes a move unless I give the order. Understand?" Steve snapped the instruction at the two HPD officers.

"Yes, sir." The men spoke in unison.

"Commander." A tall gentleman in a white coat held out a hand to stall him, but stopped short when he saw the angry scowl it earned him. "I'm the on call doctor. He must be suffering immense pain. That coupled with the medication will affect him mentally, as well as physically."

Without answering, Steve forced his way passed the men, leaping up the last flight of stairs, and exited onto the roof. He immediately spotted the lone figure staring out over the Honolulu skyline.

H50 H50 H50 H50 H50

Danny was perched on the building's perimeter ledge, next to a metal fire escape ladder. Steve guessed that's what he'd used to make it up onto what had to be a five foot high wall. How his best friend had managed such a feat in his fragile state was close to a mystery. But Steve knew without asking what had driven Danny to this place. His chest tightened to the point of pain, and he had to pause to catch the breath that was caught there as he studied his partner.

The loosely fitting blue hospital gown ruffled by the breeze added to Steve's distress. Danny had made this climb with only one working arm. Bandages were visible through the thin material, revealing spots where it was obvious that wounds, which were given little time to even begin healing, had reopened and were seeping again.    


He had to play it cool. While he didn't believe Danny would actually jump, the risk of further injury was huge, and this danger weighed heavily on Steve. If he'd only told his friend the whole story.

"Danny, buddy. Looks like a great view, but I'd prefer it if you came down from there." Steve edged closer until he was just a few feet away.

"You lied to me, Steve." Danny didn't move. His vision fixed on the single contrail crossing what had been a clear blue sky.

"I never lied, I was gonna tell you, but…" Steve could feel his heart hammering much too fast in his chest.

"But what?" Danny retorted angrily.

"Danny, please come inside."

"You made me think she was alive."

"I planned on telling you this morning. After you’d gotten some rest."

"Her parents wanted to know about her last hours. How do you think that made me feel, huh? I didn’t even know she was dead. I’m supposed to protect people, not get them killed."

"You didn’t kill anyone. You saved Joe. You gave a family a second chance at happiness." Steve could see the side of Danny's ashen face and the first tears had already begun to fall.

"Subdermal Haematoma. They said the injury didn’t look that bad on the surface. She was unlucky. Yeah, unlucky enough to meet me."

"Danno, you’ve suffered a major trauma. You’re not thinking clearly." Steve could see subtle tremors running through Danny's body.

"Doc said I’ll need further surgeries on my arm. The scars on my neck will fade with time but not disappear. So I can look forward to looking in the mirror every day and being reminded of what I did."

"You didn’t do anything wrong, buddy." Steve ached to reach out and touch his partner. 

"She was nineteen. Nineteen, Steve." Danny's shoulders slumped forward and his chin dropped to his chest. "I should have been the one to die."

"Like hell it should have been you. What about Grace and Charlie?"

For the first time since the conversation started, Danny turned his head, pain etched across his face.  "They’d be better off without me. I can’t even take them on a day out without my job getting in the way. Next time it could be one of them lying in the morgue."

"This isn’t you. This is the meds talking. You need to let me take you back to your room." Steve took a step closer. Shocked by his partner's words but also the ferocity with which they were being delivered. He knew it only had to be a matter of time before Danny's body would succumb to his injuries.

But his partner's mind seemed to switch gears. Once again he stared straight ahead. "They called her an adrenaline junky. She was an avid climber, a base jumper. You heard of volcano surfing?" 

"Yeah, it's popular on the Big Island."

"That’s why she came to Hawaii. For the volcanoes."

"Don’t let her death be for nothing, Danny. Come on. Let me help you down."

"Tell me how she died."

Steve shook his head. "You already know."

"I wanna know exactly what happened." Danny slammed his good hand down on the wall next to him. "Everything, Steve. No more lies."

"Only if you come inside." The knot in Steve's stomach tightened.

"No, you tell me now."

"Please don’t make me do this." Steve bit his lip. "Not here."

"God damn it, Steve. I need to know."

Steve sucked in a deep breath and raised both his hands in defeat. "Okay... We were getting ready to breach. Jess had stopped the attack on you by hitting the chimp with a couple of darts. It seemed to take forever, but he eventually went down. That's when the other chimp attacked. He started throwing rocks, anything within reach. Jess used her body to shield you. That must have been when she was hit."

Danny shot Steve a puzzled look. "You didn't see?"

"No. Like I said we were getting ready to breach." Steve gingerly climbed the ladder. Sitting down on the top rung. He wanted to get near to Danny but was aware his friend needed space in his delicate and somewhat unpredictable frame of mind.

"Keep going." Danny glared impatiently.

"I can’t. Not here." Steve murmured.

"You can and you will." There was a determination in Danny's tone.

Steve pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut. "When we entered, she was distraught. I didn't see any obvious injuries, so I pulled her back into my arms. Told her she was safe."

Taking a deep shuddering breath, Steve croaked out the next sentence. "You'd stopped breathing."

Danny listened in silence, tears falling unabated.

"The medics worked on you while I held her. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done." Steve's voice cracked as he unsuccessfully tried to choke back tears. “She died in my arms.”

"She died thinking I didn’t make it." Danny whispered forlornly.

"I honestly don't know. I was too focused on you. I’m so sorry." Steve scrubbed at his face, before using the handrail to haul himself up to standing. "We'll work through this together, Danno. But first you have to let me help you back inside."

The instant Danny nodded in agreement Steve wasted no time, jumping down onto the dusty concrete roof before sprinting back to the stairwell.

"I need some assistance here."  Steve hollered down to the medical team. Without waiting for a response he returned to Danny's side, hoisting himself up onto the wall next to his partner.

"How you managed to get up here in your condition beats me." Steve sat down and wrapped his arm around his friend, mindful of his injured arm.

"Don't remember." Danny mumbled.

"No more excursions for you, buddy. I'm not letting you out of my sight for the foreseeable future." Steve looked worriedly at his now very pliable and somewhat drowsy friend.

"She didn't deserve to die." Danny leaned into Steve heavily.

"I know, Danno." Steve stared across at the horizon. Sadden by their loss but thankful for his friend's life.

**~ to be continued ~**

_Ducking and running for cover. In my defence, when I wrote this I never anticipated Jess becoming so well liked._

  
  



	7. Chapter 7

"I can schedule an appointment with a psychologist..."

Danny wanted nothing more than to be left alone. To block out the entire world. He was already part way there, the doctor's words becoming a distant murmur.

Two days had passed since Danny's unauthorized excursion to the roof, and if anything his life had gotten a whole lot worse. The nonstop poking and prodding by the staff wore on his nerves, and the continuously pointless updates from Doctor Freeman made him want to scream. There was little change in his condition. No good news, no bad. Just a sorry state of affairs that had left him tethered to this uncomfortable bed.

"Should've jumped." Danny's words were barely audible, but the nurse caught them and gave him a disagreeable shake of her head.

Danny frowned with a measured sigh. Random, stupid comments like that one - not to mention his solo trip to the roof - had earned him the impossibly annoying presence of his partner and personal watchdog. And if Steve wasn't there, he would be blessed with the company of a member of the hospital staff picked specifically to further irritate him while watching and analyzing his every twitch.

He swallowed convulsively fighting back the urge to vomit. Danny wasn't sure if it was the fact his arm resembled a badly butchered piece of meat or the nonsensical words presently coming out of his doctor's mouth that had his stomach doing back flips. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he watched the nurse remove gauze strips to reveal the bloodied mess that was once his arm.

“I can increase your meds if this is becoming too uncomfortable.“ The nurse studied him, trying to gauge his level of discomfort.

“‘M good.” Danny used the pain to anchor him to the present, to hold memories of Jess at bay. With his good hand, he held a sick bowl in a death grip. His fingernails dug into the compressed cardboard as she began irrigation, flushing out the pus and removing surgical materials from the deepest areas of the wound.

He lifted his gaze to his partner. Steve sat in a nearby chair, bent forward with his head in his hands. He guessed his friend was having a hard time taking in the doctor's words, too.

"Danny, you have to understand that, even if we beat this infection, you face a long, difficult recovery and multiple surgeries. Amputation offers you a much better outcome in my professional opinion." Doctor Freeman rested his hand on Danny's shoulder. "There have been incredible advances in prosthetics."

A burning sensation flared at the back of his throat the instant he heard that word again - amputation. He squeezed his eyes shut but he couldn't hold back any longer.

"Hold him steady." As the awful wave rolled over him, Danny felt multiple hands on him. Even after emptying the contents of his stomach, he continued to retch. His abused muscles and bruised ribs protested, and if that wasn't enough his recently numbed arm began to throb in time with his pounding heart.

"Stop, please just stop." Danny elbowed the person next to him, attempting to break free, inadvertently spilling vomit over himself and them.

"Easy, Danno. It's nearly over and then you can rest."

Danny hadn't noticed Steve take the doctor's place by his side until he spoke. He now watched him pry the bowl from his fingers. His friend's hand and arm covered in puke.

"Sorry." Danny whispered the single word before letting his head fall back onto the pillow.

"Nothing to be sorry about. Let's get you cleaned up. Rachel and the kids are coming by this afternoon." Steve gave him a sympathetic smile.

The way his friend said those words. Like he was speaking to a child. It was almost too much for Danny to take.

Sick, angry, and hurting, Danny knew he had everyone worried about his mental state. Steve especially. The man had set up camp in his room following their rooftop discussion. Locking eyes with his partner, he bit back the urge to cry.

"I'm all done here. Now do as your friend said. Your temperature is up a little. Doctor Freeman ordered another round of blood work." Danny watched the nurse drop the vial of his blood on a small tray. "One of my colleagues will be in soon with a clean gown and bedding."

He could only manage a slight nod in response. Deciding to close his eyes and try to do as asked or at the very least feign sleep.

H50 H50 H50 H50 H50

Steve handed Doctor Freeman some papers before shaking his hand. "Thank you. I’ll wait for your update."

"Did the doc have anything new to report?" Lou headed down the corridor towards Steve.

"Hey, Lou. Where's Chin and Kono?" Steve looked over the big man's shoulder.

"We bumped into Rachel and the kids. I left them talking while I got coffees." Lou held up the tray of drinks. "Charlie was hyped up on tales of his super hero dad. By all accounts they had a great visit, and Danny's doing well. Makes me question what you and the doc look so serious about."

Lou eyed the pen Steve held in his hand.  Steve quickly dropped it into a colorful pot emblazoned with the words  _ I love Hawaii _ on the desk at the nurse's station. ”Oh it's nothing. Just helping with some paperwork."

"Tell me you didn't just do what I think you did, McGarrett. 'Cause I sure as hell don't think it's a good idea."

"Not your decision."

"No, it's not. Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't a person get to choose whether they keep a limb or not?" Lou blocked Steve's attempt to move away. Virtually pinning him to the counter of the work station.

"Leave it alone, Lou." Steve retorted angrily, placing one hand on the larger man's chest, stopping short of pushing him away.

"Normally I would, you being the boss and all. But you know what, I can't. I owe it to you and our boy not to." Lou put the coffees down before taking a step back.

"He's in no condition to make these kind of decisions."

"And you are?" Lou raised both eyebrows.

"Get outta my way." Steve brushed past the Chicago native.

"What happened to being Ohana?"

"Fine, go ahead and tell me what's on your mind." Steve sighed loudly as he dropped down onto a nearby chair.

“You haven't been right since that kid died in your arms. Open your eyes, man. That's some heavy shit. And Danny's going through it too. Give him some credit and let him decide.”

“Difference is I'm not the one laying in a hospital bed, doped up on meds.”

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but a medical proxy only comes into effect when the patient can't communicate their wishes. Last time I was in Danny's room his voice was working just fine. A little too well even by his standards. So, does our immunity and means stretch to cover hospitals now?" Lou sat down next to Steve.

"I did what was necessary." Steve whispered hoarsely.

Lou gave Steve a second before continuing. "Not sure I wanna know. So what did the doc tell you?"

Steve used his thumb to brush away alone tear. "The antibiotics haven't had any impact on the infection, and he's in danger of developing sepsis."

"And Danny knows all this?"

"Yeah, but he sees it as some sort of penance for her death.” Steve wearily leaned his head back against the wall behind him. “He'll adapt. I've seen enough veterans go through the same experience to know."

"He's a cop, not a soldier. I've been in this game long enough to know how it works. Once a cop always cop. If they take his arm, it'll kill him."

"It's the only way I can be sure he'll survive this."

"One lesson I've learned. Nothing's a sure thing. But I can guarantee you this. You just signed the death warrant on your friendship with Danny."

"I can't lose him." Steve took a few deep shuddering breaths.

“Put yourself in his place for a second. What would you do? Give up? Nah, that's not your style.” Lou placed a hand on Steve's shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "I get it, I honestly do, but you continue down this path... Man you're gonna lose him either way."

Steve scrubbed his face with one hand trying to rub away his tears. "I couldn't face Grace and Charlie if I didn't at least try."

"Hey, you okay, boss?" Kono asked, her voice full of concern. Neither of the men had noticed the two cousins approach.

Lou immediately got to his feet and ushered them towards Danny's room. "Simply imparting Renee's culinary skills. You're invited to dinner as soon as our boy’s allowed home."

"Sounds great, Lou." Kono knew better than to question them further.

"We have an update on Chapman. Danny's gonna wanna hear it. Are we all cleared to visit en masse?" Chin shot a surreptitious look at two nurses as they passed by.

"We're good." Steve stood up and pointed to the coffees abandoned on the desk. "One of those mine?"

"Yep. And I gave it an extra shot of espresso." Lou passed him the styrofoam cup.

"Thanks, Lou."

H50 H50 H50 H50 H50

"Chapman's never been in trouble with the law until now. The judge may go easy on him, seeing as he's got to live with the fact his actions resulted in someone's death." Chin added to Kono's account of the charges against Dominic Chapman.

" _ His _ actions?" Danny pushed the remains of his dinner around the plate with a fork.

Kono perched on the edge of Danny's bed. "Don't do that. You and Jess saved Joe."

"It's okay, Kono. These two ladies like to think they're responsible for all of life's woes." Lou leaned back in his chair, arms folded across his chest.

"Ladies? Nice. I thought you saved that description for perps." Danny groused.

"He's not wrong." Chin grinned across at Steve from the opposite side of the bed.

"Easy, boys." Kono cut in. "I spoke to Chapman's wife, Carrie. They'd run into financial difficulties. He thought he could solve them by gambling what little they had. Things began to spiral out of control. He started drinking heavily when Carrie got pregnant. Money was tight, and he couldn't handle the thought of another child adding to their financial misery. The final straw for Carrie was when he hit Joe, so she threw him out."

"How is Joe?" Steve asked when he noticed that Danny was struggling to stay awake.

"Doing well. He's keen to meet you Danny." Kono rubbed his leg through the blanket. "Hey, sleepy head. You want us to go?"

"I'm good." Danny barely opened his eyes.

"Hell you are. It's time we left." Lou got up and stretched. "I'll drop by again tomorrow."

"Yeah, me too." Kono kissed Danny on the forehead.

Chin followed his cousin to the door. "See you tomorrow, brah."

"Take him with you, please." Danny pointed wearily at Steve.

"My pleasure." Lou held the door open. "After you."

"I'm good, thanks." Steve remained seated.

"Humor me would ya?"

"Fine. I won't be long, Danno." Steve pushed up from his chair.

Lou waited for the door to close behind Steve before speaking. "Do us all a favor? Whatever agreement you've got going with Danny's doc, end it."

Steve rubbed the back of his neck. "Lou, I don't know that I can."

"At least sleep on it. And do yourself and Danny another favor. Go home. Shower. You're pretty ripe."

Steve couldn't help but grin at that last remark. "I guess I can do that."

"Good man."

Steve waited until Lou had boarded the elevator before returning to Danny's room. He paused in the doorway, watching his now sleeping partner.

"Everything alright, sir?" The male nurse's voice inquired from behind Steve.

"Yeah, sorry. I was gonna head home, but I'm not sure now. I was gonna tell Danny but he's sleeping." Steve moved aside letting the nurse enter the room.

"He will quite possibly sleep through until morning." He picked up the tray of half eaten food from the table. "If he wakes, I can give him a message."

Steve hesitated before answering. "Please let him know I'll be back here first thing."

"Yeah, I can do that,  I'm his nurse tonight."

"Thanks. And one other thing. Is Doctor Freeman here?"

The nurse checked his watch. "He started emergency surgery ten minutes ago. Could be a while."

"No problem. I'll swing by his office tomorrow. Thank you.” Steve gave his friend one more look before leaving.

**~ to be continued ~**   
  



	8. Chapter 8

Danny looked around the room, frantically trying to find the source of the noise. Something had ripped him from sleep. For a second, he couldn't remember where he was. Then, it hit him.  _ The boy! _ He needed to find him, get him to safety. 

Before he could get his bearings, the sound came again. Shrill screams punctuated by heart wrenching sobs filled his head and he wanted nothing more than to cover his ears. To add a scream of his own. But he couldn't do that.  

He attempted to get up from the bed, but his movements were impeded by a debilitating pain slicing through his arm. The metallic taste of iron tinged his tongue as he bit down, hard. His heart beat much too fast in his chest, and his breaths came in short, sharp pants as he continued to raise himself into a sitting position, desperate to find Joe.

"Stop, you'll get yourself killed." A hand pushed against his shoulder trying to keep him in place. Danny resisted. Time was running out. He sensed the monster getting closer. Could even smell it, all fetid and foul. Choking back vomit, he tried to obey the desperate pleas that were urging him to be still.

"Danny, lie back down. Try to relax." Now he recognized the voice.

_ Jess _ . She was there right by his side.  _ How could she be there? _ He smiled up at her as he allowed himself to be eased back against the soft pillows. She reached out her hand to wipe away the tear sliding down his cheek. Only the moment was fleeting. The figure before him morphed into the reason for Joe's cries for help.

The large chimpanzee leapt onto the bed, causing it to dip. Danny was trapped, unable to move. Gripped by fear, he couldn't breathe. His vision tunneled, and his head pounded with a nauseating intensity. The animal moved in close, bearing his blood stained teeth, salivating in preparation for the kill. Within inches of his face the image dissolved, replaced by his doctor.

Doctor Freeman's brow creased in concern as he scrutinized his patient. "Swap the nasal cannula out for a mask. Respiratory rate and oxygen saturation are dropping. Danny, you need to take deep breaths."

“Joe, Jess...where’d they go?” Danny mumbled the words as he tracked the movements of the nurse following his Doctor’s instructions. He looked from the young man's face to his name badge.  _ Noel Finney. _

Noel gave him a kindly smile as he placed the mask over his nose and mouth. "You're doing great."

"Are you back with us now?" Doctor Freeman studied his patient, awaiting a response before continuing.

Danny gave an almost imperceptible nod. His head felt unnaturally heavy. The constant pounding from moments earlier dissipated to a dull thrum, but something just wasn't right and it scared him.

"Good man.” Doctor Freeman picked up a tablet from the table next to the bed and started tapping the screen. "You're running a fever, and your arm is giving me cause for concern."

"Hands and feet are cold." Danny could feel beads of sweat trickling down his forehead. His stomach twisted into a tight knot, as the fire raged within, sending shivers through his body.  

The doctor lifted the lightweight blanket and squeezed his foot. "I believe something else is at play here. I'm going to get you transferred to the ICU."

Danny tried to keep up, his reactions dulled by the meds. The previously discussed amputation came back to the forefront of his mind, and he immediately looked down at his arm. He shifted uncomfortably in his bed, a sense of dread threatened to send his emotions spiraling out of control once again.

Doctor Freeman held a syringe up for Danny to see. "I'm going to administer you a sedative."

It was as if the doctor was reading his mind. Danny watched as he dispensed the drug into his IV line.

"We'll do some tests to find out what we're dealing with. A full set of blood work now and I'll organize a lumbar puncture."

"Should I contact Commander McGarrett?" Noel asked as the two men moved towards the door.

Doctor Freeman checked his watch. "Two A.M. No, not just yet. The man needs to rest. Call him when we know more."

Danny tried to focus on their conversation, only catching snippets as the drug finally got to work, slowly pulling him under. His last thoughts hooked on his doctor's final words. He wanted his best friend by his side, but at the same time felt relieved they weren't going to make that call. Jess' death had hit his partner hard, so he took comfort in knowing he wasn't adding to his friend’s already heavy burden.

H50 H50 H50 H50 H50

Steve jolted awake as soon as he heard his cell phone come to life. It's ring tone resonating loudly in his bedroom. He rolled onto his side and reached out blindly. His fingers closing around the offending item as it vibrated across his bedside table. He squinted at the display, before thumbing the answer icon.

"What happened? Danny OK?" Steve answered without preamble. He’d had a rough night, tossing and turning, half anticipating a call, and after finally drifting off to sleep it had happened.

“Commander McGarrett?” The voice questioned hesitantly.

“Yeah, sorry.” Steve scrubbed his face with one hand.  

"I'm Detective Williams' nurse, Noel Finney. We spoke yesterday evening."

"Noel, is Danny okay?" Steve threw back the covers and sat on the edge of the bed.

"He's in surgery."

"I'm putting you on speaker." Steve placed his cell back down on the side unit and grabbed his pants off the back of a chair.  _ "Surgery? _ Why wasn't I told?"

Noel cleared his throat before continuing. "I'm just following Doctor Freeman's instructions."

"Of course you are." Steve blew out a disapproving sigh. “What type of surgery?"

"I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to say. Doctor Freemen will explain more when you arrive."

Steve checked the time.  _ Five fifty a.m. _ "You're not at liberty to say? At this hour? Come on, man.”

"Sorry, sir. Doctor patient confidentiality."

"To hell with that. I'm his medical proxy?" Steve yanked a T-shirt over his head.

"I really can't give you any more information."

"Steve picked up the phone. "To hell with this, I'm on my way."

Steve ended the call, launching the device across the room, an angry scowl crossing his features.

H50 H50 H50 H50

Steve climbed out of his Silverado. He barely registered the trip from his house. Streetlights and traffic had gone by in a blur, as his mind was focused on one thing.  _ Danny _ .

Then he shifted gears, remembering his conversation with Lou. A harried walk across the parking lot turned into a jog. He needed to know what was going on - had to stop them from making a huge mistake. His mistake.

By the time he arrived on Danny's floor his impatience was off the scale and there was no sign of Doctor Freeman. Steve strummed his fingers on the reception counter as he waited for a nurse to locate them.

"Detective Williams is in the ICU and Doctor Freeman is on a break."

"You're sure? I was told he was in surgery less than an hour ago." Steve looked around trying to find the tall skinny figure of Noel Finney.

"I can only tell you what's on my screen." The nurse looked up from her terminal with a look of exasperation. "Sorry, sir."

"Fine. Where can I find his nurse then? Noel Finney." Steve's aggravation starting to show.

"Noel must have called you at the end of his shift. He's no longer here. Why don't you head down to the waiting area outside the ICU. I'll call the nurse's station there and tell them you're on your way." She smiled sympathetically at him.

Steve closed his eyes and sucked in a deep calming breath. "I appreciate your help, thank you."

Walking away, Steve cursed under his breath. He reluctantly decided to do what was suggested, stopping at a vending machine on the way. He needed something to calm him down. A beer would have been good, but for now he'd have to make do with coffee. The guilt and worry he'd been carrying had somehow been surpassed by anger. It was taking all his inner strength to not rip the hospital apart to find Danny and his doctor.

**~ to be continued ~**

 


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your patience. I hope this is worth the wait. Enjoy!

Danny had given up on sleep. He’d been moved from the relative quiet of his private room to another one in the confines of the ICU. Resting against his pillows, he tracked the movements of a young female nurse dressed in green scrubs, her face partially covered by a surgical mask and her hair tucked beneath a matching green cap. She swapped out yet another bag of fluid on the IV pole by his bed. Something about her felt so familiar.

His left arm felt odd, heavy and constrained. He lifted his head slightly to take a look, but the motion sent a wave of nausea through him. The thought of puking in the oxygen mask he'd been forced to wear had him tugging at the offending piece of equipment. He winced as he pulled on the lines in his arm. The sudden wail of a machine alerted the nurse.

"Hey, you feeling sick again?" She re-positioned the mask over his nose and mouth earning herself a not so happy glare in the process before fiddling with something behind him to make the noise stop. "I know it's hard but you need to keep it on. Your stats are low. Take deep breaths, Danny. Like we did earlier."

She moved into his line of vision, her hazel eyes meeting his blue ones. "A deep breath in. That's it... And breathe out. You're doing well."

"Arm?" That one word was all Danny could manage. His throat was dry and talking painful.  

"Does it hurt?" The nurse frowned worriedly at him.

"No, feels weird." He croaked out.

“Do you want some ice chips for your throat?”  She picked up a plastic cup for him to see.

Danny nodded in response.

"I'll raise you slightly." She held the button down on the control attached to his bed, letting go when he was almost completely upright. “Here, just a couple.”

She lifted the mask and held a spoon containing a few ice chips to his cracked lips. Danny hummed out loud as the cool liquid trickled down his throat, easing his discomfort.

"Doctor Freeman carried out a second debridement. He was here a short while ago, but I'm guessing you were still too out of it to remember."

Danny stared at the bright white bandages that swathed his arm completely. He didn't know what was real. Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm himself. But his thoughts kept drifting to Jess. He felt oddly attached to this girl he barely knew. 

His eyes watered, and his chest tightened. She was there with him. Her golden hair framed her face, so innocent and so brave. Unable to recall the colour of her eyes, he pounded the bed with his good hand in frustration. He owed her that much.   


The knot twisted in his stomach as fragments of her last moments filled his thoughts. He absentmindedly touched the dressing on his neck.  _ Shit, Danny, I'm sorry. _ Those words had been accompanied by excruciating pain. He'd been selfish and terrified, and instead of wrapping her in his arms and shielding her from harm, he'd let her die.

"Danny... Danny, hey open your eyes, look at me."

He did as asked, blinking away tears. The same young nurse leaned over him, her face etched with concern. "You zoned out there for a while. You had me worried, and not for the first time tonight."

"Sorry." Danny mouthed the word. More often than not now, he found himself back with Jess. She along with the chimpanzees invaded his sleep and what felt like his every waking hour.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. I'm here to take care of you." She smiled beneath the mask, her eyes crinkling at the corners.

Danny sank deep into the pillows, and a new wave of nausea threatened, as her words sent him back to Jess and what she'd sacrificed for him.

H50 H50 H50 H50 H50

Doctor Freeman found Steve pacing the small waiting area. He stood quietly, a few feet outside of the partially open doorway, observing the Commander. Steve's hands were in constant motion, one minute scrubbing his face, the next pinching the bridge of his nose before interlocking his fingers and resting both on top of his head. He paused momentarily to stare out of a window.  

The doctor took a deep breath before stepping into what he now considered the _lion's den._ The man caged within was without a doubt ready to pounce. "Commander McGarrett."

Steve spun around dropping his hands to his sides, his fists clenching and unclenching. His eyes narrowed and his lips flattened into a tight line.  

"I apologize for keeping you waiting, but I had a medical emergency." Doctor Freeman wasted no time pre-empting any angry outburst Steve may have had planned.

"Is that right? I got a call saying you'd operated on Danny. You assured me I'd be contacted if there was any change." Steve closed the gap between him and Doctor Freeman. The two men stood toe to toe.

"Calm down, Commander, or I will call security. You may be the head of the Governor's task force, but here, in my hospital, you're a guest." The doctor met Steve's stern gaze.

Steve stood his ground, undeterred by the doctor's threat. "I just need to know he's ok."

The shorter man seemed to take pity, relaxing his posture. "Steve. Can I call you Steve?"

"Go ahead." Steve frowned. Confused by the doctor sudden change in demeanor.

"Steve, please sit down. It's been a long night, and I'm not as young as you. My feet hurt, and I really don't want to stand here arguing." The doctor moved to the nearest chair and sat down without waiting for a response.

Steve sighed loudly and took the seat opposite.

"Let's get something straight. If at anytime I thought Danny's condition was anything other than stable, I would have contacted you immediately. I apologize for the lack of information afforded to you over the phone. Nurse Finney is new and still learning. He was just following standard protocol."

"Fine, I get that, but why's he back in the ICU?"

"Danny has developed a bacterial infection -"

"Woah, hold up a second. A bacterial infection? You don't consider that a significant change?"

"If you'd let me continue." The doctor held up his hand to forestall any more interruptions. "Animal bites, more often from dogs, carry a pathogen that can in rare cases cause infections in humans. We've caught it early, and I'm currently waiting on test results. Once they come through I'll know which combination of drugs to administer. He'll be kept in isolation until then.”

Steve shifted uneasily in his chair. "But he had surgery - why?"

"Not unlike you, Steve. I've learned to read people, gauge their level of pain, when they're holding something back. It's not merely about testing blood or running scans to diagnose an illness."

"Your point being?" Steve locked eyes with the doctor.

"I'll be blunt. You want to know if I amputated your friend's arm? Well the answer is no. I carried out another, much deeper debridement."

"I'll admit I was worried. After our meeting yesterday, I..." Steve blew out a deep breath.

The doctor smiled as he shook his head. "You must know I would never go against Danny's wishes?"

"But I signed papers. You agreed..." Steve ran a hand down his face. "Why didn't you say that yesterday?"

"My priority is to my patient. Let's just say I payed you lip service. It was obvious to me from the outset that you would only leave and take care of your own needs once I agreed to your demands. You two have quite the reputation amongst the hospital personnel, and I'm also well aware of your medical history. You were on the brink of collapse, both physically and mentally."

"You'd make a great detective, doc."

"You would make a terrible patient. And quite frankly I don't want you taking up another bed in my hospital."

"I appreciate your honesty. When can I visit him?"

"You can see him now, but don't expect too much. It's been a long night and the chances are he'll be sleeping. I'll get one of the nurse to fetch you a set of scrubs." The doctor stood. "I'm taking a much needed break, and before you say another word, my staff will page me if there's any change. I'm not expecting the test results until later today, by which time I'll be back. I've assured the Governor I'd look after you two."

Steve hesitated before speaking. It took a second for last part of the doctor's statement to sink in. "You spoke to the Governor?"

"Don't sound so surprised. This is a small island." The older man smiled. "Now, let's get going. You want to see your friend, and I have a date with my bed."

Steve got up and extended his hand to the doctor. "Thank you."Doctor Freeman took his hand in a friendly shake. "You're welcome."

**~ to be continued ~**


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and sticking with this story. In the past I have completed my stories before posting. Clearly this is not the case with this one. I completed the first 7 chapters with the aim of having the remaining couple ready to go when I posted chapter 7. Not only did my plan fail but the muse decided to take this story in a completely different direction. I will do my best not to keep you waiting too long between chapter updates. And here's another thing I'm not an expert in, law, so sorry for any inaccuracies.

_ No, he's still sleeping.  _ Steve smiled fondly at his partner before sending yet another text to Grace.

"Danno, your daughter needs you to wake up. Hell, so do I. Surprisingly a weekend at Jerry's is not a big enough distraction for Gracie." Steve adjusted the disposable paper mask covering his nose and mouth.

His phone vibrated in his hand as another message appeared on the screen.  _ Sleeping all day? He alright?   _

_ I promise you, Gracie, he's doing great.  _ Steve yawned loudly, stretching his upper body. "She's right you know, buddy, you've slept long enough."

_ R the meds working? _

_ Yep. The doc assures me he's responding well. If he keeps this up he'll be back in his own private room in a couple of days.  _ Steve shifted uneasily in the hard plastic chair as the sent notification appeared. He hadn't been completely honest with Grace. It was much too early to tell if the infection was responding to the drugs, but the latter part was true. Doctor Freeman was confident that now that they knew which strain of pathogen they were dealing with, Danny's recovery would turn a corner. All he needed at this moment in time was for his best friend to wake before his phone battery died.

_ Ok good. _

“Your daughter doesn't sound convinced by my reply.  Let's try changing the subject.”  _  Aren't you missing the movie? _

_ The Emoji Movie. It's so not funny. _

_ :-P :-O :-) ;-)  _ Steve couldn't help the grin that spread across his face.

_ Uncle Steve, that's so lame. No one uses those anymore. _

Steve rolled his eyes _. LOL. Or is that not cool either? _

_ ROFL. Gotta go. Pizza's here! Tell Danno I love him. _

_ Sure thing, Gracie. I love you too. _

_ Love you too, Uncle Steve. _

Steve placed his cell on a side table and flexed his fingers. "What is it with you Williams and food? Not that I'm complaining, I love your daughter Danny, but I'm not sure I can keep this texting up much longer. My hands ache."

"How are we doing in here? I see sleeping beauty still hasn't stirred." A nurse appeared and started checking the monitors, before adjusting the flow on one of the bags of fluid. "You should step outside and take a break, Commander."

"I'm good, thank you. I promised Danny's daughter I'd let her know the second he wakes."

"Ha, daddy's little girl?"

"Yeah, but not so little. Fourteen going on eighteen."

The nurse laughed. "A teenager. I have one of those. Patrick, he's fifteen."

"Danny has a son too. Charlie, he's five."

She checked the wound on Danny's neck. "I look forward to hearing all about them."

Steve was about to answer when he heard his phone buzz.

"Someone's impatient. I'll be back to change his dressings soon. When I do, you can go grab a coffee. No arguments."

"Yes, ma'am."

H50 H50 H50 H50 H50

"Did you wait for me to leave?" Steve leaned forward in his chair, eager for some sort of response to his query. "Hey, Danno."

Danny pushed the oxygen mask off his face and gestured with his good hand towards the cup of water by his bed. Steve picked it up and held the straw to his friends lips.

Danny took a few sips before speaking. "She said you'd been here all day."

"Yeah, pretty much, until that nice nurse of yours kicked me out. You don't know how good it is to see you awake." Steve ignored the glare he received as he moved the mask back to cover his friend's nose and mouth. "And she said to make sure you kept it on. You've been misbehaving, buddy?"

"I can tell you're smiling under that getup. You know I hate these."

Steve couldn't shift the Cheshire cat grin. Seeing his friend awake for the first time and talking was more then he'd hoped for. "I'd wear one of Lou's outrageous outfits if it got me in here with you. You've had us all worried."

"Who's got Grace and Charlie?"

"Jerry offered to have them for the weekend."

"That's good." Danny closed his eyes.

"You gonna go to sleep on me again?"

"I keep seeing Jess."

Steve straightened, caught off guard by the unexpected comment. "Jess? Where?"

"She was here. Well I thought she was." Danny rubbed his forehead as if trying to erase the memory.

"It's the effects of the infection and meds."

"She spoke to me. I actually thought she was alive and then remembered." Danny locked eyes with his friend.

"Sorry, buddy."

"For what? Her being dead or me being lōlō?"

"You're not crazy."

"Tell my ever present chaperones that." Danny waved his hand to the medical assistant sitting behind Steve.  

“Hey, Ikaika.” Steve looked over his shoulder. “Didn't I tell you this morning he's not crazy?”

“Yeah, you said cranky.” Ikaika shook his head in dismay as he studied the page of a medical book.

“Thanks, babe. Good to hear you got my back.” Danny retorted sarcastically.

“Commander, there are some gentleman outside asking to speak with you.” A nurse entered Danny’s room.

“They give you a name?” Steve frowned up at the young man.

“No, but now there’s a police officer stationed outside. I’ll sit with Detective Williams until you come back.”

"See, they won't leave me alone."

Steve gave Danny a solemn smile as he pushed up from his chair. "I’ll be back soon, Danno.”

H50 H50 H50 H50 H50

“You asked to see me?” Steve gave the officer standing just outside the entrance to the ICU a quizzical look before addressing the two men standing nearby.

"Yes, Commander McGarrett. Lieutenant Randall Cole." He nodded towards his colleague. "This is Sergeant Duane O'Connor. We're from Internal Affairs.”

"What's this all about?" Just the mention of IA had Steve on high alert.

"You and your team, along with the Honolulu Zoo are being sued for wrongful death."

"There must be some mistake."

Cole waved a manila folder at Steve. "I assure you this is no mistake. The plaintiffs are Mr and Mrs Hollybrook. The late Jess Hollybrook's parents."

"I know who they are." Steve blew out a long breath. "Why the uniform if this is a civil case?"

"A case has also been filed against your partner. Detective Williams is being charged with criminally negligent homicide. A member of HPD will be stationed outside his room until his  arraignment can take place here in the hospital."

"Homicide! My partner saved a young boy." Steve lunged at the two men, his fists clenching as he struggled to control his anger.

Cole barely flinched, raising both eyebrows. "Did  _ he  _ save him, Commander? I’d think very carefully about that statement."

Steve backed away. For a split second, it was as if his friend was there with him. Danny's hand on his chest, telling him to stand down. "I’m taking this to the Governor."

"No need. She is already well aware of the situation and the potential fallout once the media gets hold of this, and they will, eventually."

"We already have Dominic Chapman in custody on a number of charges including child endangerment and assault with a deadly weapon."

"You don’t have anyone in custody as of now. Your team is no longer involved in this case. Detective Williams is already on suicide watch and we'll be requesting he be transferred to Hawaii State Hospital.”

"He is not suicidal." Steve began pacing, scrubbing both hands through his hair.

"Are you saying the report I received from HPD stating he was found on the roof of this hospital is wrong?"

"He wasn’t going to jump." Steve gazed through the glass sliders toward the room where his friend now resided.

"You can't be sure of that. We'll be in touch, Commander." Cole headed for the elevator.

O'Connor didn't immediately follow his partner, instead he closed the gap to Steve.  "Do your friend a favour, Commander. Get him a good lawyer."

Steve glared back at him, not saying a word. O'Connor took the hint and walked away.

The HPD officer shifted uneasily on his feet when Steve turned his attention to him, casting him a murderous look. Mentally logging the conversation he would be having with Duke later about the report on his partner. Steve opened his mouth to speak when he was cut off by the buzz of his cell, alerting him to another text.

_ I miss danno grace fell asleep this is charlie _ . Steve's steely exterior crumbled as he read the message.

**~ to be continued ~**

 


	11. Chapter 11

_ You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you.  _ Danny replayed those words in his mind. They had been said to him three days earlier by the man now standing at his bedside - Lieutenant Randall Cole.  _ Who Danny wanted to punch. _ The guy had no respect for the badge, only some perverse pleasure for bringing down his fellow officers.

Danny had only been transferred to the private room four days ago, prior to that move he'd spent an agonizing week in the ICU. Danny didn't need to be a detective to work out he'd been kept there longer than necessary. After thirty six hours on the new medication, the infection had started to clear, and the isolation protocols had been lifted. He still faced two weeks of intravenous antibiotics and months of outpatient visits to fix his injured arm, but overall his physical health was improving.

At the time, Danny believed that his extended stay in the ICU was Steve's doing. Something he thought was a misuse of Five-0's immunity and means. He had since learned Dr Freeman had a hand in it too. Both were protecting him from ‘The Men in Black' as Danny now referred to them.

He knew Steve and his doctor meant well, but he felt like a prisoner awaiting execution. Confined to his room with very few privileges was a punishment in itself. The limited visiting hours and the age restrictions had also kept him from his children. Danny had protested vehemently. The legal stuff was inevitable and he wanted it over with as soon as possible.

Danny drew in a deep breath and tried to push himself up higher in his bed. Not an easy feat with only one working arm.

"Here, let me help you." Dr Freeman immediately came to his aid. Raising the head of the bed slightly and adjusting Danny's pillows. "How's your headache on a scale of one to ten? And the truth Danny."

"Eight." The room swam around him, and he closed his eyes briefly.

"We need to get these proceedings underway." Cole spoke loudly, drawing the attention of everyone.

"Five. Minutes. Please." Danny punctuated each word with a jerking motion with his good hand.

Conversations abruptly ended as the tension between Danny and Cole grew. All eyes were on Danny, and he hated it with every fibre of his being. He felt trapped, not unlike the way he’d felt at the zoo. Only this time, the predators weren't two hundred pound chimpanzees. Instead they consisted of a judge, district attorney, court reporter, defense attorney, a couple of HPD officers and his newly self appointed guardian Dr Freeman.

"Take it easy." Dr Freeman rested his hand on Danny's shoulder. "I'm not happy with your stats. Maybe it's for the best if we get this over with. I'm sure Steve has a good reason for running late."

"Yeah... I guess."

A grin spread across Cole's face, and Danny chose that moment to look up. Cole rocked on his heels, hands shoved in the pockets of his expensive pants, his whole demeanor dripped with arrogance and self-righteousness.

The relationship between Internal Affairs and the task force had always been toxic. Their latest witch hunt appeared to be one they might actually succeed in winning, and Danny had no doubt Cole would wear that success like a badge of honour.

Danny pulled back the light hospital blanket. "I need the bathroom first."

"You're kidding, right?" Cole looked at Danny incredulously before turning his attention to the court officials in the room. "Surely you're not gonna let this charade continue?"

"Is that what you call it?" Danny retorted angrily.

"Gentleman, please. Dr Freeman assist Detective Williams. We'll get started shortly. I'm sure you'll agree my client's welfare comes first, Lieutenant Cole." A smartly dressed brunette addressed them. She gave the two IA agents a stern look that soon turned into a smile when she noticed the firm set of the Lieutenant's lips and how he clenched his jaw tightly

"Joy." Dr Freeman gestured to a nearby nurse for assistance. She'd been standing at the back of the room - a quiet observer.

"Take it slow." Joy maneuvered the IV pole so Danny could hold on to it as he stood on shaky legs.

"Would you..." Danny glanced down at his disheveled appearance. His gray sweats hanging loosely on his hips.

Joy tugged on the cord to the light blue dressing gown he wore, knotting it securely. "You good to go?"

Danny moved his head from side to side, attempting to alleviate the ache in the back of his neck caused by the sling securing his injured arm.  

Cole cleared his throat before speaking. "Any time today."   

Knowing only too well Cole was trying to goad him into a reaction, Danny deliberately ignored the man. Instead, he briefly made eye contact with the Lieutenant's partner, Sergeant Duane O'Connor, who seemed ill-at-ease with his partner’s antagonistic ways.

O'Connor quickly looked away and continued to fidget with a handful of paperwork. He was an unlikely match for Cole and a good twenty years his junior. Rumour had it that the two men had conflicting opinions, and after only three months in the department O'Connor wanted out.

_ Keep your smart mouth shut and keep walking. _ The voice in his head sounded a lot like Steve. Danny couldn't help but grin. He was sure if his partner was there they'd be finding a hospital bed for Cole, and Steve would end up sharing a cell with him. Which was definitely not how he pictured them growing old together.

"Hey, what's so funny, Williams?" Cole stepped in front of Danny, blocking his path.

“Unless you want me to ruin your nice shiny shoes, I’d suggest you get outta my way.” Danny let go of the IV pole and clenched his hand into a fist. "O'Connor, word of advice. In the future, keep your partner on his leash."

H50 H50 H50 H50 H50

"When you said hospital, I thought you were talking about Danny. You do realize his arraignment starts in ten minutes?" Lou looked puzzled as Steve turned his Silverado onto the parking lot of Queens Medical.

"Don't worry. We're good. Danny's stalling. Buying us some time so we can dig around."

"You think that's wise? Letting him go it alone?"

"He's not exactly alone. Ella's got his back. She's a brilliant attorney." Steve pulled into a spot close to the entrance.

Lou turned in his seat to face Steve. "You arranged this? The two of you? So when exactly were you gonna bring me in on this plan of yours?"

"I knew you'd chew me out on the ride over here, so I'm telling you now."

"Damn straight I would."

"Danny's not gonna do anything stupid if that's what's worrying you." Steve climbed out of the vehicle and headed toward the main concourse.

Lou shook his head in frustration as he followed close behind. "You've met Cole, right? The guy's on a mission to bury Danny and the rest of us."

Steve stopped short of the main doors, waiting for the big guy to catch up. "Yeah and that's why Chin and Kono are poking around in the IA department."

"So Chin and Kono are in on this too?"

"Look, man, I'm sorry… I should've told you."

"I hope you're right about your boy, or things are gonna get a whole lot worse."

"Hey, Lou. Have a little faith." Steve slapped Lou's back. "Come on we have someone to see."

Lou sighed "So who we visiting?"

"Carrie Chapman. She had her baby two days ago. He was premature, but he's doing well. She called and asked us to visit her here."

"She tell you why?"

"She said she has information that'll help Danny."

"What are we waiting for then? Let's go see what this girl’s got to say." Lou continued on into the building not waiting for Steve.

H50 H50 H50 H50 H50

"Jesse Daniel." Carrie Chapman beamed at her sleeping baby.

Steve and Lou stood on either side of Carrie as they peered through the window at the child in the incubator.

"The perfect name for the perfect little guy. Danny will love him." Lou cocked his head to one side, a broad smile crossing his face.

"You wanna another one, Lou?"

"You kidding me? At my age? Not to mention my wallet couldn't take the pain."

Steve laughed. "Carrie, can we get you a drink, something to eat?"

"A smoothie would be good, thank you."

H50 H50 H50 H50 H50

Steve guided Carrie's wheelchair to an empty table in the far corner of the canteen.

“Two coffees and one Papaya Sunrise." Lou held up his wallet. “You sure you won't eat? I'm buying.”

“No, thank you.” Carrie smiled.

Steve sat down in the chair opposite her. “How's Joe?”

"Struggling. The psychological scars are gonna be around longer than the physical. The hospital has been great. Giving him the professional support he needs."

“If there's anything you need give me a call, please.”

"I appreciate that. How's Detective Williams doing?"

"He's fine."

"You're a terrible liar."

“She got you pegged.” Lou slid a styrofoam cup over to Steve.

Steve held his hands up. "Not great, but he's getting there."

"Good. He doesn't deserve to be treated the way he is right now." Carrie sipped her smoothie. "Thanks."

"We're hoping you have something that'll help Danny's case."

"It's not much. I overheard the conversation Jess Hollybrook had with Detective Williams before he went inside the enclosure. He explicitly stated for her to be his eyes and ears on the outside. She was to be his guide so to speak regarding the chimpanzees behavior." Carrie paused for a moment, lost in thought. "Joe is really upset. He said your partner tried to save him, and he also heard the Detective's conversation over the radio with Jess."

"Did he tell you what he heard?"

"Yeah, word for word. Joe has a photographic memory. He can remember the names of most of the zoo  animals. Here, I wrote it down." Jess gave Steve a crumpled piece of paper.

_ Detective Williams said - What the hell do you think you're doing? You trying to get yourself killed? _

_ Jess said - Trying to help. Which is more than can be said of your partner. _

Steve passed it to Lou after reading it's contents.

"She didn't have a very high opinion of you, McGarrett."

"Yeah, well she and I had a different view on how things should've gone down. I just wished she shared that with me at the time, instead of putting herself in harm's way. Would Joe talk to us?"

"I think so. I've shielded him from the investigation and my being here will only put off the inevitable questions off for so long. The police want statements and have requested an interview with Joe."

Steve cell began to ring.  He checked the display on the screen before answering. "Sorry, I have to take this."

"That Chin?"

"No, Kings Medical."

"Man, this ain't gonna be good." Lou's brow furrowed in concern.

**~ to be continued ~**

 


	12. Chapter 12

Danny gingerly ran his fingertips over the large lump on his cheek, hissing when they came into contact with his split lip.

"Leave your face alone." Ella Davenport, Danny's attorney momentarily stopped writing and glanced up from her paperwork. “You remind me of my nephew.”

“Your nephew get arrested?” Danny waved his hand haphazardly in the air.

“No, he’s only four. He’s always bumping his head.” Ella twirled a pen between her fingers.

“Great.” Danny pinched the bridge of his nose. “Comparing me to a four year old.”

“I’ve hung a new bag of antibiotics.” Noel Finney - Danny's regular nurse - checked the reading on the BP monitor. “Your numbers have improved. I’ll be cleaning and redressing your wounds in awhile.”

“Still hurts like hell.”

“I’ll get you something for the pain and another cold pack for that.” Noel pointed to the colourful bruising on Danny’s face.

"Should’ve seen the other guy."

"Nice try, but Joy already told me what happened. You shouldn't have been out of bed."

"So everyone keeps telling me." Danny groaned as he settled back against the pillows, staring up at the ceiling.

"And for good reason. You're lucky it was only your head you hit. Joy was afraid you’d caused more damage to your original injuries."

“I’ll apologize when I see her next. I didn’t mean to scare her.”

“No need, man. She’s good. I'll be back soon.”

Danny waited for Noel to leave before turning his attention to his attorney. He watched as she packed up her notes.  "So when am I being transferred?"

"Tomorrow." Ella's stern expression softened when she saw how Danny chewed on his bottom lip and picked at the hospital blanket. The normally animated and sometimes fiery detective looked like a lost little boy. "You need help, Danny. Concentrate on getting better and let me deal with clearing your name."

"Can you?" Danny huffed out.

"Yes, I’m confident. So much so, I've agreed to a pretrial date two weeks from now. I'll be calling for a motion to dismiss. I don't know what game Lieutenant Cole is playing, but his case against you is far from water tight."

"Man on a mission." Danny stated flatly.

Before Ella could answer raised voices emanated from just outside Danny's room.

"Speak of the devil.”

"I thought he’d left." Ella stood up, black leather briefcase in hand. "Please behave. I don't want to hear about you fainting again."

"I did not faint." Danny blurted out indignantly.

“Looked like it from where I was standing.” Ella smiled and headed for the door. “I’ll be in touch, soon.”

H50 H50 H50 H50 H50

Lou used his large frame to block Steve’s advance toward the retreating IA agents. With both arms extended between the two parties, he attempted to defuse the situation. "Do yourself a favor, Cole, keep walking, unless you wanna spend the night in this fine establishment."

Cole's roar of laughter was all it took for Steve to lose what little control he had left. He launched himself forward, simultaneously yelling. “Nobody messes with my team.”

“ _ Team _ ? You no longer have one.” Cole’s bravado unwavering.

Fortunately for Lou what he lacked in speed he made up for in size. Using brute force he grabbed Steve by the shoulders and slammed him against the wall. "Hey, take it easy. You know this ain't right."

"You sure about that?" Steve's focus was still on Cole. He watched the man disappear down the hospital corridor until he was completely out of view.

"Yeah, because you could've taken me down in a heartbeat. The only reason I'm still standing, is you know knocking Cole on his butt ain't gonna help Danny any. Not to mention these fine gentleman -" Lou glanced over his shoulder at the HPD officers with their hands resting on their holstered guns. "- would shoot your ass."

Steve pushed Lou off, and punched the wall. "Danny doesn't deserve this."

"I agree, and his best friend getting thrown in a holding cell isn't what he needs right now either." Lou's gaze fell on the men still poised to intervene. "You can stand down. Drama's over."

“Sorry, sir.” Both officers spoke in unison.

“What are you doing here anyway? Haven't you got any parking tickets or traffic violations to chase down?” Lou glared angrily.

“Following orders, sir.” One of the men answered.

Lou moved into his personal space, leaning forward to read his name badge. “Is that so, Officer Mahelona?”

“Leave it, Lou.” Steve ordered, shaking his hand to relieve the pain.

Ella stepped out of Danny's room. She held the door open for Ikaika, the young man had arrived for his stint of chaperoning.

“Commander McGarrett, Captain Grover. Glad you could join us.” Ella frowned at them both.

Lou acted like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He immediately straightened his shirt, clearing his throat before speaking. "Sorry, how's our boy doing?"

"Coping a whole lot better than you two by the look of things."

Steve rested both his hands on his hips. "It's been a tough couple of weeks."

"I understand, but getting into an altercation with IA isn't advisable. The testosterone levels in there were through the roof earlier. For a second, I thought they might need to add assault to Danny's charges, but he showed the restraint you appear to be lacking."

"Is that so?" Steve cocked an eyebrow. 

Lou smirked. "Busted by two women in the space of a few hours."

"I apologize, Commander, I guess it's not your day." Ella checked her watch. "I don't have much time, I'm due in court, but going by what just happened, I take it Lieutenant Cole brought you up to speed."

"Hawaii State Hospital. Is that really necessary?" Steve folded his arms across his chest.

"It was either that or supervised release when Danny eventually gets discharged. I know you'll disagree, but in my professional opinion, he could use some help. Putting aside his trip to the roof, he's admitted to seeing and talking to the dead."

"With all due respect, I know Danny, and I've been in the field. This is worst case PTSD, but nothing severe enough to require incarceration."

"Please, trust me, I'm acting in the best interests of my client. Now I really do need to get going."

"I hope so." Steve pinned the attorney with a cold stare.

"Thank you for your time." Lou managed a weak smile of gratitude.

"My pleasure." Ella began to walk away and then stopped and turned to face them both “And one more thing. From what I saw today, I'd say Lieutenant Cole has an axe to grind. This is personal. I’d keep an eye on him.”

They both stood in silence until the elevator door closed.

“Walk with me a second would ya?” Lou placed a hand on his boss’ shoulder.

Steve resisted. “I wanna check on Danny.”

“Five minutes, that’s all I'm asking.”

Steve allowed himself to be guided along the corridor away from the HPD officers. “OK what's on your mind?”

“Dead people? You mind telling me what she was talking about.” Lou kept his voice low.

“It’s nothing. Just dreams.” Steve avoided making eye contact.

“Carrie was right. You're terrible liar.” Lou started to walk back toward Danny's room.

“Lou, wait.”

“What, you wanna feed me more bullshit?”

“He told me he saw Jess. Spoke to her.”

Lou turned to face Steve. “Aw man, this is so messed up. I hate to say it, but maybe she was right, maybe-”

“Don’t go there, Lou. Danny does not need to be locked up on some psych ward, and he's not suicidal. Now do me a favor. Go back to the Palace and see what Chin and Kono have. I'll sit with Danny for a while.”

“Fine, but from here on out you gotta be straight with me, man.”

“I promise, Lou. No more secrets.”

H50 H50 H50 H50 H50

The sudden inability to draw in a breath startled Danny, waking him. His eyes went wide and he frantically tried to pry the hand from his nose and mouth. Pain radiated from his chest, as his desperate movements pulled at the healing lacerations running along his collarbone and neck.

“What’s wrong? I thought this was what you wanted.” Cole smiled a big toothy grin before removing his hand.

Danny chest heaved as he sucked in great lungfuls of air. Afraid to look away from Cole he blindly searched the bed for the call button.

“Looking for this?” Cole held up the small remote. “Oh, did I mention I sent your constant companion on a break? It’s amazing what people will do when you flash them your ID. Do you find that? Shame you won't be able to do that in the future.”

“What do you want, Cole?” Danny pushed out the question, his breathing still laboured.

“What I want is long gone, but seeing you and that partner of yours suffer is compensation enough. I’ve been waiting years for this opportunity. I couldn't believe my ears when I heard about your heroics at the zoo. Admittedly, I’d have preferred it to have been McGarrett. Only six months in this job and already I have the means to bring the Governor's task force down.”

“You wanna tell me why or do you just like hearing the sound of your own voice?” Danny sat up straighter as he at last managed to regain his composure.

“You got a smart mouth.” Cole dropped the call button out of Danny’s reach and walked around the bed until he came to the IV stand. He held one of the lines in his hand, studying it closely. “I wonder how easy it would be to kill you now? You see it all the time on TV and in the movies.”

“If that was your end game, you’d have done it already.”

“Yeah, I guess I would’ve.” Cole grabbed the visitors chair. Metal legs scraped against the tiled floor as he moved it closer. He spun it around to straddle it. “Here’s a little bedtime story. Eight years ago I was at the top of my game. Moving up the career ladder. I would have been top dog at HPD if it wasn’t for one John McGarrett. He always managed to take all the glory. I even put a proposal together for a task force, but get this, Governor Jameson knocked it back and then a year later John McGarrett’s son is handed the role. And to rub salt into the wound, he recruits a Haole as his second in command."

"You looked in the mirror lately, huh?"

"I was born and raised here." Cole retorted angrily.

"You got overlooked for promotion, so you what, destroy peoples lives? That's your motivation?"

Cole stood and made his way to the door. “I’m gonna enjoy crushing you and your Ohana, Haole. Sleep well, you have a long day ahead of you tomorrow. I personally cannot wait."

**~ to be continued ~**


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking so long to post, yet again.
> 
> Thank you to Phoebe for editing this and the great adds/suggestions.

"Pssst. Dude, he gone?" Ikaika stuck his head around the door. "He coming back?"

Danny stayed silent for a beat, frowning at the young medical assistant. "I don't think so... No. Were you hiding out there the whole time?"

"Yeah. I knew I shouldn't leave my post, but he was kinda intimidating. I hung around, just in case, ya know, in case he…" Ikaika briefly looked over his shoulder at the quiet hospital corridor, before stepping all the way in and closing the door gently behind him.

"What, in case he tried to kill me? Like on the TV?"

Ikaika shook his head, glancing at the floor. "No, I just thought he might try something."

Danny sighed. "I'm fine, and I told you before - stop with the dude. You make me sound like a surfer."

"Sorry, du...Danny." Ikaika scooted over to the small table he'd been sitting at before being thrown out. He flipped the pages of a magazine open, revealing his cell phone. "I set this to record. I've seen that on the TV."

Danny pushed himself up higher in the bed. "Bring it over here."

Ikaika pressed a few buttons and then handed it to Danny. "It's playing."

They both listened intently, Danny's gasps for air could clearly be heard as could Cole's voice. "Ikaika, I could kiss you right now."

"That won't be necessary, dude." Ikaika backed away from the bed. "I'll settle for a beer when you get outta here."

"You're on." Danny held up Ikaika's cell. "I need to borrow this."

"Uh… Okay."

"I have to make a call. Where's my stuff?"

Ikaika wasted no time in rummaging through the cabinet at the side of Danny's bed.

"Here." Ikaika passed Danny his own phone.

Danny scrolled through his list of contacts until he came to the one he was looking for. He chewed on his bottom lip as he waited impatiently for someone to answer.

H50 H50 H50 H50 H50

"Good to see you, man." Jerry entered Danny's room holding his badge up for Danny to see. "I had to show this at the nurse's station before they'd let me in here. It was kinda cool."

"Thanks for coming, Jerry." Danny ran his hand through his unruly hair.

"No problem. That's some colourful bruising you're sporting. The guys said you collapsed."

"They did, huh?" Danny raised both eyebrows.

"Yeah, I didn't wanna say fainted. Doesn't sound very manly." Jerry looked around the room trying to avoid the scrutinizing eyes of the stranger in the room.

Danny smirked at Jerry's obvious discomfort. "Don't sweat it, Jerry."

"Uh, you sure you don't want me to call Steve?"

"Positive. It took me and Lou over an hour to persuade him to leave, so yeah I'm sure" Danny held out the cell for Jerry to take.

Jerry studied the phone. "Who's it belong to?"

"Mine, dude. Danny had a visitor."

Jerry gave the young native Hawaiian a quizzical look.

"Meet Ikaika Kalani." Danny waved his good hand between the two men. "Ikaika, Special Consultant Jerry Ortega."

"Good to meet you, brah." Jerry reached across the bed, his fingers barely touching Ikaika's outstretched hand. Jerry aborted the attempted handshake, quickly shoving his hand in his shorts' pocket. "So what's this all about?"

"Lieutenant Cole dropped by for an unauthorized visit. Ikaika recorded our not so pleasant meeting. I need you to transcribe our conversation before placing the phone into evidence. In the morning, call my attorney, Ella Davenport." Danny glanced at Ikaika, pointing in the general direction of where his personal belongings were kept. "Her business card is in my wallet."

"Covert surveillance." Jerry looked wide eyed at Ikaika. "Impressive."

"Jerry." A touch of frustration creeping into Danny's voice.

"What exactly do I tell her?"

"Cole freely admitted to coercing Mr & Mrs Hollybrook into pressing charges for his own gain.  _Do not_ let Steve get wind of this. Last thing I need is Captain America flying in here making things worse."

"That'd be Superman. Technically Captain America doesn't fly." Jerry replied with a matter-of-fact tone.

"I disagree, dude. He flies. Although personally I'd choose Silver Surfer." Ikaika cut in.

"Woah." Jerry raised his hand to silence Ikaika. "If we're discussing true flying ability, Superman tops them all."

Danny cleared his throat. "Guys, can we focus, please?"

"Uh, sorry. I'll get right on this." Jerry walked toward the door, and then hesitated, turning back to Danny. "You, uh… You look better than I thought… Not like a…"

"A crazy person?"

"Yeah. Sorry, my bad."

"Stop apologizing, would ya? I'm fine, Jerry. Actually, never better. Now I just need you to set the wheels in motion and maybe I can get home to my kids."

H50 H50 H50 H50 H50

"You want me to kick the toilet? Maybe slap it around a bit." Kono made a pouty face. She was perched on the edge of Danny's bed, her hand gently rubbing his upper arm.

"It was the sink I hit, but we're good now. We made up." Danny poked her in the side.

"Sorry, brah. Next time I'll leave her at the office." Chin shook his head at his cousin. "We've got your back, 110%. This is not over yet."

"I'm fine, honestly." Danny covered Kono's hand with his own. "I appreciate the sentiment, Chin, but we have to face the fact that I might be facing jail time."

"Hey, what happened to the power of positive thinking?" Kono glanced at Chin worriedly.

"Any hopes I had of getting out of here a free man are dwindling down to nothing with each passing hour." Danny rested his head against the pillows. "You heard from Jerry today?"

"He was ensconced in his office, wading through paperwork. Which is where me and Kono should be. Come on, we have some leads to chase down." Chin patted Danny's leg through the hospital blanket. "Try not to worry."

"Go. No doubt my mother hen will be back soon."

"Which one? Lou's become Steve's shadow." Kono gave Danny's hand a squeeze before getting up.

Chin laughed at her comment. "Steve's doing his best to break the link. Lou's not happy riding shotgun in the Camaro and Steve's realized."

"That's why they arrived in separate vehicles." Kono bent forward and planted a kiss on Danny's forehead. "I'm picking up Grace and Charlie from Lou's later. Me and Adam are gonna take them to see a movie."

"You don't know how much that means to me." Danny sucked in a shaky breath. "Thank you."

"That's what ohana are for." Kono replied.

A nurse carrying a tray of food entered the room. She was closely followed by Lou.

"As much as I hate to crash in on your visit. Someone needs to eat his dinner. Doctor's orders." Lou announced rubbing his hands together cheerfully.

H50 H50 H50 H50 H50

"Man, I'd forgotten how hard it was having a kiddo in the house. Five rounds of hide and seek is my limit. I haven't got the physique for it now." Lou rubbed his stomach.

"Not surprising if you're gonna steal sick people's food." Danny prodded the empty pudding cup with his fork.

"Hey, I asked first. I took your silence as a yes."

Danny didn't respond. He continued to play with his meal, flicking a piece of meatloaf across the plate.

"Charlie's a great little guy, and Grace is a fine young lady. You should be proud."

"Yeah, I am." Danny's answer was barely above a whisper.

It had been a little over twenty minutes since the cousins left and Lou was trying hard to raise his spirits.

"Danny, I've been where you are before. Feelin like you let someone down. That you are responsible for their death." Lou bowed his head. "Feelin like you have to pay the price. And I know I can't say anything to make that better."

The two men held eye contact for a few seconds before Danny returned to picking at his food.

"Take the help, man. We have your back. That's all I've got to say."

Lou didn't wait for Danny to respond. He returned to Steve who was probably driving the nurses crazy in the hallway. He'd been crawling the walls all day, trying to find a way to stop the transfer.

H50 H50 H50 H50 H50

Lou checked his watch. "We have less than an hour before they move your boy. Why don't you sit with him while I get us some coffee?"

Steve watched Danny through the glass pane in the door. "I've let him down, Lou. What do I say?"

"Excuse me, sir." A deep Hawaiian voice interrupted the two men.

Steve turned abruptly and leaned forward resting both his hands on the arms of the wheelchair an orderly was pushing. "Where are you going with that?"

"Hospital policy, sir." The orderly stood firm, refusing to move.

"Let him through, Commander McGarrett. You'll be needing that since you're going to be taking Danny home." Ella strode confidently along the corridor toward them. She waved a sheet of paper above her head. "You'll be needing this too. A script for Danny's medication. Doctor Freeman will be along shortly."

"He's being discharged?" Steve's jaw tensed as he tried to control his emotions. His white knuckle hold on the wheelchair remained.

"Steve, you might wanna let him through." Lou watched as all color drained from the poor guy's face as he looked the Ex-Navy Seal in the eye. "His bark is worse than his bite."

Steve relaxed his stance, letting go. "Sorry."

"All charges have been dismissed. In light of new evidence, Danny's being released. Luckily for him I'm on good terms with Judge Nickelson and managed to secure court time at short notice."

"New evidence?" Steve scrubbed at his face, now completely at a loss as to what was going on. "What are you talking about?"

"I'll let Danny do the honours. First I need five minutes with my client, and then I'll be out of your hair."

"Hey, Ms Davenport." Everyone turned to see Lieutenant Cole approaching, he was all red and flustered. Sergeant O'Connor followed close behind.

The Lieutenant shoved his way past hospital personnel, before pushing a med cart against the wall, causing some of its contents to spill on the floor with a clatter.

"This isn't over." Cole yelled.

"Back away, Cole." Steve stepped in front of Danny's attorney stopping Cole's advance.

"It's fine, Commander; Lieutenant Cole, saved me a trip." Ella handed him an envelope. "Consider yourself served."

"What the hell is this?" Cole ripped open the letter and started reading. "You gotta be kidding me. A restraining order? On what grounds?"

"You are to stay at least 500 yards away from Detective Williams at all times. I suggest you leave or I'll have to ask the Commander here to arrest you."

"Don't worry I'm going. But you'd better watch your back McGarrett. That goes for Williams too." Cole spat the words as if they tasted foul in his mouth.

"I suggest you get moving, or so help me God, I'll beat your ass into next week." Lou squared up to Cole his finger digging in the other man's chest. "O'Connor, get him the hell outta here, and do yourself a favor get yourself a new partner."

"That won't be necessary, I followed him here. He's on suspension."

Cole shot an angry glare at Lou as he turned to leave. O'Connor waited for his partner to disappear into the elevator before speaking.

"Commander McGarrett, can we go someplace private?"

"Maybe I didn't make myself clear. You're not welcome here." Lou starred O'Connor down, his fists clenching at his sides.

"Easy, Lou. I'm listening, but anything you have to say, you say it here." Steve turned to Ella, who was still standing outside the door to Danny's room. "Go ahead. Tell Danny I'll Be in shortly."

Ella nodded in understanding. "Play nice, boys."

"What's this all about?" Steve asked impatiently.

"We haven't been properly introduced." Salter held up his ID. "Special Agent Jason Salter, FBI."

"This day keeps getting better. Anyone else got any more surprises for us?" Lou shook his head in dismay.

"FBI?" Steve paced up and down, hands on his head with his fingers interlocked. He stopped in front of Salter bringing his hands down to rest on his hips. "Are you the reason the charges got dropped?"

"No, that seems to have been all Cole's doing. He paid your partner a visit last night. Decided to confess his sins."

"He came here? You sure about this because it's the first I've heard of it. Lou, Danny say anything to you?" Steve was growing more agitated by the second.

"Not a word, and I spilled my guts in there. Man, I gotta to take the weight off." Lou sat down in the nearest available chair.

"I've been running an undercover investigation from the LA office, and it brought me here to Oahu. Randall Cole is a key player in a corruption case stretching over a period of more than two years."

"I'm still confused. What's this all got to do with what is clearly a personal vendetta against me and my team?"

"The man's never been exactly by the book. Over the years there've been complaints lodged against him. Nothing ever stuck. The most the powers-that-be could ever do was pass him over, which is where I think his grudge against you comes in, or to be more accurate, you and your father. He blamed John McGarrett for his failure to get promoted. There were also rumors of Cole heading up a task force."

Lou frowned up at Salter. "Hold on a second. Somethin doesn't sit right. When have the FBI been this free with information? We'd normally have been butting heads long before today over this case."

"Don't tar us all with the same brush, Captain. I read the reports, and to say Cole's actions against Detective Williams are disingenuous is an understatement. Unfortunately, my hands were tied."

"Does Cole suspect anything?" Steve asked.

"Nah, the man's so self absorbed. I doubt he notices much more than his own arrogance. He's hated me from day one. Spends most of his time trying to shake me loose."

"So what happens now?"

"Now, you get your partner home and let the Bureau take care of Randall Cole."

**~ to be continued ~**


	14. Chapter 14

Danny relaxed against his seat and gazed out the passenger window of his car. He focused on the bright lights from the countless store fronts running along Kalakaua Avenue. The streets were still crowded with a mix of locals and tourists enjoying some late evening shopping.

Steve rested one hand on the steering wheel, while the other rubbed the scruff on his chin as they waited at yet another red light. "We should have taken the H1. I don't know why you insisted we take this route."

"H1's boring." Danny stated flatly.

"Maybe, but at least we'd be home in time for you to take your meds."

"I don't need the painkillers, and the antibiotics can wait."

"They cannot wait, Danno. You can't afford to miss any." Steve honked the horn when the car in front failed to move.

"That's rich coming from you." Danny turned to look out the windshield. "Car at the front's broken down. You'll have to go around them."

Steve edged out into the right lane. The flashing hazards of a SUV clearly visible up ahead. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, I dunno, let me think... Liver transplant recovery ring any bells?"

"You are less than an hour out of the hospital after weeks of fighting a life threatening infection. You need to stick closely to the schedule."

"Stop. Just stop, okay? If you're so worried, why'd you come this way?" Danny glared at his friend.

Steve kept his eyes firmly fixed on the road ahead, sensing Danny staring at him. "Because you asked."

"Really? What'd you do with my control freak of a partner?"

It was now Steve who glared angrily at his friend. "I have good reason to be worried. Until now, you've hardly said two words since we left the hospital. I thought you'd be happy to get home."

"But I'm not going home, am I?" Danny went back to watching the world go by.

"We've been over this with Doctor Freeman. It makes sense to stay at my place. You need to take care of your arm, which means taking it easy. Not to mention, you need someone to drive you to your appointments."

"I had plenty of offers. Kono, Chin, Lou, Kamekona."

"This is non-negotiable."

"Ah, there he is. He who must be obeyed. This is why I didn't call you."

"Cole threatened you. I should've had your back, not some medical assistant or Jerry." Steve floored the accelerator, swerving around a slow moving minivan.

Danny braced himself with an exaggerated groan. "Ikaika... And I already told you. I didn't want to worry you. Not that any of that matters if you get us killed."

"It would've been nice to have been told." Steve slammed on the brakes when a taxi cut in.

"God damn it, Steve. One near death experience was enough." Danny yelled.

Steve rolled his eyes. "I just don't get it, Danny. Why would you keep something like that from me?"

" _Please_ , can we not do this again, huh?" Danny began to massage his forehead.

Steve reached across the centre console and popped open the glove compartment. "Drink some water. Should be a bottle in there."

"Thanks."

Steve glanced sideways every so often as Danny struggled with the lid. He attempted to snag the bottle from his friend's hand. "Here, let me."

"I got it." Danny jerked the bottle out of Steve's reach before using his teeth to twist the top off.

Focused on what he was doing, Danny didn't notice where they were. But Steve did. The glowing fluorescent sign for the Honolulu Zoo loomed in the distance.

 _Shit._  Steve mouthed the word, shifting uneasily in his seat. "Why don't you take a nap, Danno?"

"M'good." Danny held the bottle between his legs absentmindedly picking at the label.

"At least try. You should rest."

"God help me, Steven. Will you..." Danny's voice trailed off.

"Sorry, buddy. I honestly forgot we'd be passing by here."

"I didn't think it would affect me, but..." Danny blew out a shuddering breath. "Pull over."

"I'm not sure that's a good idea."

"Please, babe. I can't avoid it forever. It's Charlie's second favorite place."

"It's closed. We can come back when you're feeling stronger."

"I don't wanna come back; what I want is for you to do as I ask.  _Please_. You can park at the entrance to the service road." Danny pointed to a sign clearly marked "No unauthorized vehicles."

The Camaro crawled to a stop, and Steve killed the engine. He turned to face his partner, waiting for him to say something, but Danny stayed silent, instead playing with the bandage on his arm.

"You wanna talk about it." Steve kept his voice low, unsure of his friend's current state of mind.

Danny took a few deep breaths. Sweat beaded on his forehead. The inside of the car suddenly feeling very small. Sensing his friend's rising anxiety, Steve put his window down.

"Maybe we should go." Steve held the key in the ignition, waiting for the okay to leave.

"No, I need to do this." Danny wiped his brow with the back of his hand.

"Take your time, buddy." Steve gave Danny's thigh a reassuring squeeze.

"Feels like several months ago, not weeks. Charlie was so excited. Grace on the other hand..." Danny closed his eyes. Tears already threatened to cut loose. "She asked me, begged me to wait for you. She was scared. What kind of dad leaves their kids with strangers and..."

"Hey, you are an amazing father and Gracie and Charlie know that. You did what needed to be done."

The two men locked eyes. "That's not what you said at the time. You said I should have waited. You told me to get outta there."

"Gracie wasn't the only one scared for your safety."

"You wanted to blow the guys head off with a sniper rifle."

"There weren't many options on the table."

"There weren't any, other than the one that landed me with this." Danny's gaze drifted down to his injured arm. "That's why I didn't call you. For the first time since I ended up in the hospital, I felt like I could control something. A chance to prove to myself that I'm still a good detective."

"You're a great detective, Danno. We should have talked about this before now."

"S'okay. I couldn't. Talking about that day makes it feel real. I kept hoping it was all a bad dream. Every time I fall asleep, I end up back here, stuck in that enclosure with the chimps. They attack me and Jess... Jess saves me."

"It will get better. I promise you that, and I'm here for you." Steve perched on the edge of his seat so he could reach around the back of Danny's neck with his hand. Running his fingers up into his friend's hair. "Every step of the way."

Danny gave Steve a weak smile as he gave in to the tears. "We've lost people, good people doing this job, but Jess, she was different. I can't explain. She was a good kid, who didn't deserve to die."

Steve pulled Danny towards him until their foreheads were touching. "I owe her so much. She had your back when I should've."

"You mean couldn't. I put you in an impossible situation."

"Dominic Chapman caused this, Danno. Don't you ever forget that." Steve released his hold.

"I'm trying." Danny used a his thumb to wipe away his tears.

"I know, buddy." Steve straighten up and started the car. "One step at a time. Now, you ready to go home?"

"Yeah, and thanks, babe."

Steve guided the Camaro back onto the main road. "I have to ask. What's Charlie's favorite place?"

"You know where. It's been at the top of Grace's list for years. Even has its own beach."

"Good, because you'll all be staying at my place for the foreseeable future. Kono and Adam are gonna drop Gracie and Charlie over tomorrow."

"That's fantastic." Danny grinned happily.

**~ to be continued ~**


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, 15 chapters, my longest story to date. I was tempted to make this the last chapter, but the muse is demanding more.
> 
> Thanks for reading.

A young boy tore down the path, dodging visitors enjoying a leisurely stroll through the zoo.

"Watch where you're going, Joe. Wait. Don't just push-in." Carrie Chapman shouted after her son.

"Let him go. Charlie can't wait either." Danny stood nonchalantly, hands shoved in his pants pockets. "Need some help?"

"If you don't mind. My assistant appears to have abandoned me." Carrie bounced Jesse in her arms making him giggle.

"They'll be back when they want something."

"Begging for candy, knowing Joe." Carrie grinned at Danny as he weaved the empty stoller in and out of an oncoming group of sightseers. "You're a natural."

"It's been a few years. I'd take Grace out on long walks to get her to sleep."

Carrie frowned. "That didn't work for Charlie?"

"Unfortunately I missed out on those early years." Danny answered somberly.

"I'm sorry. Didn't mean to stir up bad memories."

"Don't be. It's complicated. A story for another day." Danny pushed the stroller all the while keeping a close eye on Charlie and Joe. He slowed down when he saw Steve had caught up with them.

Carrie gave him a knowing smile. "I have plenty of those too."

"How is Dominic?" Danny's tone was soft.

"Getting the help he needs. The prison has a support group, and therapy was mandated by his reduced sentence." She shifted the baby in her arms and touched Danny's arm. "Thank you. I know you had something to do with the deal he got."

Danny ducked his head and nodded. "It'll take time. Be patient."

"I know. I had my reservations about attending today. I wasn't sure how Joe would cope being here, but so far he seems fine. How are you feeling?"

"I'm good." Danny rubbed the back of his neck.

Sensing his unease Carrie changed the subject. "It was a beautiful service, and the Hollybrooks invited us to take a look at Jess' memorial bench. I said we'd come back another day. Not sure Joe's ready for that step. He still struggles to understand why she's not with us."

Danny blew out a deep breath. "Explaining death to a child is tricky."

"Maybe we could arrange a date and all come together?"

"Charlie would love that." Danny stopped near the giraffe enclosure where their two boys were standing. "He and Joe appear to be best buddies already."

"Charlie's a great kid. Joe will be so happy when I tell him we'll be seeing you all again." Carrie held Jesse up for Danny to take. "You wanna hold him?"

"I'd love to, but maybe next time. My arm's still not 100%." Danny unconsciously ran his hand along the scar on his arm.

"I didn't realize. Steve said you were back at work."

"Yeah, behind a desk. I still haven't been cleared for active duty. I have at least another month of PT before I get a clean bill of health."

Carrie settled Jesse back in his stroller. "He's getting restless."

"Jess would have loved you." Danny crouched down in front of the baby and held out his hand. Jesse gripped Danny's finger in his tiny ones and dragged it close to his mouth in an attempt to suck on it. "The perfect name, for the perfect little guy."

"He likes you, Danno." Steve watched his friend finally relax for the first time in what seemed like the longest five months of their lives.

"Shouldn't you be feeding the giraffes?" Danny shot his partner a quizzical look.

Steve glanced over his shoulder at Charlie and Joe chatting enthusiastically to one of the zoo keepers. "I was sent to get you. It's not only the animals that are hungry. Charlie is apparently starving. I guess he inherited his constant need to graze from you, buddy."

Danny rolled his eyes. "At least I feed him real food. Not that vending machine junk you keep trying to give him."

"One time." Steve held up a finger. "When are you gonna let that go?"

"When are you gonna stop being my mother hen?" Danny glared at his friend.

"Don't deflect." Steve's rebuke was slightly louder than he intended, causing the infant to cry.

"You scared him, you big goof." Danny tickled Jesse's tummy. "Coochy-coo."

"Now who's being a mother hen?"

"Don't let this bone headed, knuckle dragging, animal upset you." Danny chose to ignore his partner.

Steve looked away shaking his head. "That's very adult of you, Danno."

Carrie looked from one to the other and laughed. "Can I trust you  _grown ups_  to watch Joe for a while? Jesse needs his diaper changing."

Danny stood up. "Yeah, of course. Take your time."

Steve patted Danny's back. "Come on. We'll take the kids to get burgers. There's a snack bar opposite the tigers."

"Thank you." Carrie smiled. "I'll meet you guys there."

H50 H50 H50 H50 H50

Steve threw his empty water bottle in the trash before sitting back down at the table. "Joe didn't want to leave, but Carrie looked exhausted."

"It's been a long, emotional day." Danny's words were muffled from chewing on the last of his burger. "Shouldn't you be getting back to the Palace?"

"Some of the zoo animals have better table manners."

"Been around you too long." Danny sucked on the straw to his soda, deliberately making a slurping noise.

"Very nice, buddy. The guys will call if they need me." Steve passed Danny a napkin. "You have sauce on your chin."

"I saw you and Kono talking to the Hollybrooks before the team had to go run down some leads. Neither of you mentioned what it was about?" Danny wiped his mouth and then tossed the crumpled up napkin back at his partner.

"They've agreed to a settlement with the zoo." Steve slapped Danny's hand away as he attempted to steal some fries.

"And you didn't think I'd wanna know that?" Danny tried again, this time successfully snagging a fry.

"Keep that up and you'll struggle to keep up with Lou, let alone me, when you're back in the field."

"Now who's deflecting?" Danny dipped the fry in Steve's ketchup.

"We decided you had enough to deal with. I was gonna tell you later." Steve slid the carton of food out of Danny's reach.

"No one ever tell you sharing is caring, babe?"

"You living in my home for the past five months is sharing enough."

Danny glanced around the table to the empty chair at the end and then to his daughter, her head buried in her cell phone. "Grace, where's Charlie?"

Grace briefly looked up. "I dunno. He was here a second ago."

"You don't know!" Danny shouted, knocking his chair over as he stood. "Turn the damn phone off, Grace."

"Take it easy." Steve glanced briefly at the startled onlookers and then back to Grace and Danny, mouth open to say more but totally out of his league.

"He's probably watching the tigers." Grace continued to tap the screen.

"Probably watching the tigers? So I guess that's okay then, huh?" Danny snatched Grace's cell from her hand.

"Hey, what's your problem?" Grace raised her voice.

"Gracie." Steve snapped. "Danny, buddy, calm down. I bet he didn't get far."

"And you know that how?" Danny shot his partner an angry glare before jogging to the visitor path.

"Why are you shouting?" Grace crossed her arms and followed her dad. "You're causing a scene."

"If you paid more attention to real life than this - " Danny held her cell up in a white knuckle grip. "- I wouldn't have to shout."

"Danno." Charlie appeared out of nowhere and hung on his father's leg. "I wanna see the gorillas."

"Charlie, thank God." Danny knelt down and gave his son a hug. "I thought we'd lost you. Where'd you go?"

"To see the tigers." Tears welled up in Charlie's eyes. "Sorry, Danno."

"It's okay." Danny buried his face in his son's hair. "You scared me."

Steve rested his hand on Danny's shoulder. "Maybe we should go home. We're all tired. Like you said it's been a long day."

"Charlie doesn't want to go home. What he really wants to see is the chimpanzees." Grace tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"Gracie, I think we should go home." Steve put his hand on her elbow to guide her along.

Grace stayed put and scowled at him. "Who's home would that be, Uncle Steve?"

"What's got into you?" Steve gave her a cold stare, his lips flattened into a thin line.

"I want to go home, to our home, and I want my Danno back." The last words came out on a sob.

"Grace… I'm trying…" Danny pushed up from the ground.

"You call this trying?" Tears streamed down her face.

"I don't understand." Danny closed his eyes momentarily, trying to center himself.

Seeing the subtle tremble in Danny's hands, Steve scooped Charlie into his arms. "We can talk about this later, Gracie. Now is not the time."

"It never is, Uncle Steve." Grace wiped her face with the back of her hand. "I didn't want to see Jess' memorial with the Hollybrooks. I wanted to go with my dad."

"Monkey, baby, I'm not sure I can."

"I've been reading up on PTSD. Triggers, relaxation techniques. The bird sanctuary is the perfect place to start. It's beautiful, tranquil. You can sit on Jess' bench and watch the birds." Grace closed the gap to her father. "You can do this."

"It's not that easy." Danny's voice barely above a whisper.

"I didn't say it would be. Uncle Steve can stop at the chimpanzees with Charlie, while me and you walk right past. You don't even have to look. I'll hold your hand the whole time."

"Isn't that my job, to hold your hand?" Danny let out a shaky breath.

Grace took his hand in hers, and gave it a squeeze. "You have, Dad. For the past fourteen years."

"Come here." Danny pulled Grace into a tight embrace. "I love you, Monkey."

"Can we, can we, please, Danno?" Charlie whined as he messed with Danny's hair.

Danny turned to see his son sitting on top of Steve's shoulders. "Hey, you in on this too, Tiger."

"Are you crying?" Charlie face was full of concern for his dad.

"Nah, I got something in my eye."

"Don't rub it, Danno." Charlie gave his best stern look. "That's what you tell to me."

"Your dad's a very wise man." Steve elbowed Danny in the side. "You two okay?"

"Yeah, let's do this." Danny kissed the side of Grace's head. "You're getting too tall."

"I'm as tall as a giraffe." Charlie exclaimed before dissolving into a fit of the giggles, kicking Steve in the process.

Grace tugged Danny forward, and smiled at Steve. "Sorry I lost my temper. I love you both."

"We'll forgive you." Danny focused on their entwined fingers. "Don't let go."

"I won't. I promise."

**~ to be continued ~**


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A big shout out to Phoebe for helping me knock this chapter into shape. I hope it was worth the wait. Enjoy!

Alone at last, Danny and Grace didn't speak for a few minutes. The zoo had grown quiet as many of the visitor's had heeded the closing time warnings. Giving them the time and space they had desperately needed. Father and daughter listened to the birds singing, as they leaned against one another. Danny enjoyed the moment, basking in the glow of his not-so-little girl's attention.

"Mr and Mrs Hollybrook said Jess had told them about this place. How she'd sit in here after working with the chimps." Grace rested her head on Danny's shoulder.

"I can see why." Danny sighed deeply. "Not much to dislike. It's the complete opposite of the chimp enclosure."

"Danno!" Grace jabbed him in the ribs. "What could you possibly not like?"

"Well, him up there for starters." Danny pointed to a brown, plump bird, perched on a branch above them. "If birds have a face, he has one. It resembles your Uncle Steve's aneurysm face."

Grace slapped her dad's thigh light heartedly. "He does not, and for your information, that's a Hammerkop."

The grin on Danny's face broadened. "When did you become so wise, huh?"

"Must have inherited my brains from mom." Grace gave him a wry smile.

"So, I guess you got my sense of humor."

"Learned from the best."

Danny squeezed his daughter's hand, as they sat side-by-side watching the birds soar and swoop between the trees.

"Hey, Monkey, how about a movie and pizza tonight?" Grace didn't answer and after a beat he felt her fingers relax in his. He ducked his head to see his daughter sleeping. "You're right, this place is tranquil."

Danny closed his eyes, finally letting the stresses of the day melt away. He allowed himself to drift off, content in the knowledge that the peace would soon be disturbed by his adorable son and goof of a partner.

H50 H50 H50 H50 H50

He wasn't sure if it was the involuntary tensing of his body or Grace's bone crunching grip on his hand, that startled him from his light doze. Danny glanced up at the trees, his heart rate increasing as he realized something was very wrong. His eyes settled on the Hammerkop which appeared to have felt it too. Stretching its neck, the bird looked Danny's way, before taking flight and disappearing from view.

"Danno, why are they making that noise?" Grace's voice trembled with emotion.

"I don't know." Danny could barely speak as the shrill screams of the chimps filled the sanctuary. An all too familiar feeling building in the pit of his stomach.

"Dad, I'm scared" Grace scooted closer to him.

Danny's breathing was too fast, his heart racing and his limbs shaking as panic rose in his chest, threatening to suffocate him. There was a dizziness in his head, scrambling his thoughts, and he couldn't focus.

"You need to slow your breathing. Please, Danno, you have to try." Grace begged. "Breath in through your nose, out through your mouth."

Grace held his hands in hers and completed the actions she'd just described. Danny could see the fear in her eyes as he fought to follow her instructions. He opened his mouth to say something to calm his daughter, but he couldn't find the words.

"I'm calling Uncle Steve." Grace grabbed her cell from the bench and frantically scrolled to the correct screen. She thumbed the shortcut and waited, phone pressed tight against her ear.

After a few seconds Grace checked the display, and then hit call again. Danny watched the colour drain from her face. Tears pooled in her eyes, and her lips quivered.

"He didn't pick up, did he?" Danny wiped his sweaty palms on his pants.

Grace slowly shook her head and Danny swallowed hard as a cold foreboding crept over him. There was only one reason the chimps were making those terrible sounds. A wave of memories, both emotional and physical, assaulted Danny, and for a second, he thought he might puke. Rather than surrendering, he used the dread filling his veins to fuel him. He knew what he had to do.

"Grab your stuff, and do exactly what I say." Danny waited while she picked up her purse. He pulled her in the direction of the exit gate of the sanctuary.

"What do you want me to do?"

"Just stay close. I'm sure it's nothing." Danny forced a smile and tugged her hand firmly. "Probably just feeding time."

H50 H50 H50 H50 H50

"You feeling better now, Kiddo?"

Charlie nodded enthusiastically while taking another bite of his malasada, crumbs stuck to his face.

"The chimps can be a little bit scary, but they can't hurt you." Steve tossed a napkin in a nearby trash can.

"They hurt Danno." Charlie shot a quick glance towards the chimpanzee exhibit on the other side of the pathway.

Steve ruffled Charlie's hair. "Yeah, but that was different. Your dad was in the enclosure with them, and the chimps got frightened. They can't get out. You know that, right?"

Charlie shrugged his shoulders. "I guess... I don't want to see them again, Uncle Steve."

"You don't have to, pal."

Charlie sucked on his sugar coated fingers one at a time.

"We'd better get you cleaned up." Steve felt around in his pants' pockets for another napkin. "And we'd better save Danno and Gracie a malasada each."

"Grace doesn't like them anymore. She said they give her zits."

"Is that right? I think we'll save these two all the same." Steve held up the paper bag. "I can't see a restroom. Stay here and I'll grab some more napkins."

Steve jogged over to the kiosk where they'd bought the malasadas. Armed with a large handful of napkins he turned back to where he'd left Charlie standing only to be confronted by Cole and the boys muffled screams. The few visitors left in the zoo scattered like terrified rats.

"Shut up, kid." Cole's hand was clamped over Charlie's mouth and he dragged him up onto the chimpanzee viewing platform.

Steve dropped everything as he instinctively went for his gun. Internally berating himself when he remembered it was locked away in Danny's car.

H50 H50 H50 H50 H50

Danny held his daughter at arm's length and looked her in the eye. "Grace I need you to stay here."

"I know the drill, Danno." Grace glanced at the zoo's security team.

Danny pulled her into a hug. "I feel like ice cream tonight. Cookies and cream, huh?"

"Charlie wants chocolate chip cookie dough, but I like green tea." Grace met her father's eyes. Her reply seemed absurd under the circumstances. But it helped. Talk of ice cream brought hope. This would all be over, and they'd be home. Tonight. Fighting over ice cream flavors.

"Now that's what I wanna hear, some good old Williams' determination." Danny heard the familiar sound of sirens in the distance. "I have to go. Now, promise me you won't move?"

"I promise, Danno."

"Love you, Monkey."

"Love you more."

H50 H50 H50 H50 H50

Charlie's eyes were wide with terror. He froze as the man's grasp on him tightened. Warm urine trickled down his leg and his small frame shook uncontrollably, as the cold metal of the man's gun dug painfully into the side of his head.

"Cole, don't do anything stupid. Let the boy go." Steve stood several feet away from where Cole held Charlie. His stoic expression belied the gut wrenching heartbreak he felt at seeing his best friends son so terrified. Because if he showed any emotion, he'd break.

Cole crouched down to Charlie's level and gripped him under the chin, roughly forcing his head to the side. His unshaven skin scraping along Charlie's cheek as he whispered to him. "Look who's here."

H50 H50 H50 H50 H50

Danny could never have been prepared for the scene that greeted him. On no occasion had he seen his precious little boy so distraught. The glimmer of hope that filled his son's eyes on seeing him was fleeting as he was roughly handled by the Ex-FBI agent. Pure rage bubbled up inside of Danny and he envisioned ripping Cole limb from limb, but for now he focused on saving Charlie.

"Let him go, Cole." At times like this he really wished those Harry Potter books were real. He'd wrap Charlie in his arms and disappear. Go somewhere safe.

"My favorite detective. What happened to your smart mouth? Cat got your tongue? Or should I say chimp?" Cole sneered. "I was starting to think you didn't have the nerve to show up."

"Danny, what the hell are you doing?" Steve stepped forward, stopping when Cole glared at him.

"What does it look like? I'm taking Charlie home." Danny walked purposefully toward them.

"Keep back, McGarrett. And that goes for you too, Williams." Cole straightened, grabbing a fist full of Charlie's hair.

"Danny, stay where you are." Steve yelled.

"Listen to your partner, or do you want to watch your son die?" Cole janked Charlie's head back. "I'm warning you, Williams. I'll do it."

"No you won't. It's us you want. Now, let him go." Danny kept his voice steady not wanting to scare his son anymore than he already was.

"You've got a deal, but don't try anything stupid. My life's over, and what better way to go out. Taking two of the governor's finest with me."

"Danny, there's another way." Steve held his hands up in a placating manner.

"Make sure you get Charlie to safety. Please, Steve. Do this for me." Danny threw his partner a quick look, and he saw annoyed resignation cross Steve's features as he closed the distance to Cole.

"Stay where I can see you, McGarrett. I changed my mind." Cole gestured with the gun for Danny to get on his knees. "Have his pretty teenage daughter come get her brother instead. I'm guessing she's not too far away. Worrying about her Danno. Cute nickname. Someone else father your kids? That why they don't call you dad?"

"I'm gonna enjoy watching you rot in jail." Danny gave Cole a long hard stare.

"Never gonna happen. The last thing you'll see is your friend dying. Because of you." Jaw tense, Cole gave Charlie a shake. "Stop stalling. You know what's at stake. Kneel - hands behind your head."

Danny winced at the pull on his arm as he interlocked his fingers and slowly lowered himself down onto the wooden decking coming nose to nose with Charlie. His son's face was bright red and tear-stained, his eyes bloodshot. "Hey, Tiger. I need you to be brave. Can you do that for Danno?"

"I'm scared." Charlie hiccupped.

"I know you are, bud. But everything's gonna be okay. When the man lets you go, run to your Uncle Steve." Danny glared up at Cole. "I'm all yours, now you keep up your end of the bargain."

Cole released his hold, and Charlie hesitated for a second, gazing into his dad's eyes. "I peed. I'm sorry."

Charlie dropped his head and stared at the patch of wet by his feet.

"You have nothing…" Danny voice cracked and he briefly looked elsewhere, trying to blink away his tears. "You have nothing to be sorry about, you hear."

"Yeah." Charlie's voice was small and shaky.

"Go to your Uncle Steve, and don't look back."

Charlie gave an almost imperceptible nod before doing as asked. He stumbled a few times as he ran the short distance to his uncle. Steve bent down and scooped him up into his arms. Charlie immediately twisted his head around to get a look at his dad, while Steve gave him the fiercest of bear hugs.

Danny sucked in a deep breath and attempted to block out Charlie's sobs, along with the sound of his partner doing his best to soothe him.

"I'm gonna enjoy this, Williams." Cole pressed the barrel against Danny's forehead.

~ to be continued ~


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay in posting. I honestly didn't expect it to take me this long to finish this chapter, but life got really busy. 
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> Thank you, Phoebe.

 

"Grace, what the hell are you doing? I told you not to move." Danny looked over his shoulder at his daughter.

"I came to get my brother." Her expression defiant.

"How sweet. That's a shame though, because I changed my mind. Charlie's not going anywhere and neither are you." Cole was sure of himself. Nothing gave an arrogant ass more confidence than a gun.

Danny turned back to the Ex-FBI agent, not surprised by what he heard. This is what he wanted to avoid. Kids were leverage, very precious leverage. His next words just fell out of his mouth. He knew they were meaningless. "They're just kids."

"They're my insurance policy. The way I see it, I've got about five minutes - max - before SWAT sets up a sniper and blows a hole in my head." Cole looked from Danny to Steve. "Tell them to stand down."

"Let Grace and Charlie go first, Cole." Jaw tense and showing no fear, Steve made his demand, stalling as he prayed for a way out of this. They were at the mercy of a madman, and he had no means of protecting Danny or his kids.

"You're in no position to bargain, McGarrett."

"Everything's gonna be okay." Grace tugged gently on Charlie's arm as he clung to Steve. "Danno said we can have ice cream when we get home. You can pick the movie."

Steve watched Grace with a shocked expression. He wasn't sure whether she was being brave or stupid, but he knew one thing for certain - she was her father's daughter.

"Charlie, I'm gonna set you down." Steve bent forward and tried to extricate himself from Charlie's grip.

"I wanna stay with you." Charlie mumbled, his face remained pressed into Steve's shoulder making it hard to understand him.

"I know, but I need you to go with your sister. So I can help your dad." On hearing those last few words Charlie relaxed his hold, and Steve slowly let him slip out of his grasp.

"I don't care about ice cream. I want Danno."

"I know, I know." Grace pulled her brother close. "Me too."

"Go, Grace, now." Steve instructed as he straightened up.

"Whoa, I said they stay." Cole ran the barrel along Danny's jaw. "Or should I get this over with right now?"

"Steve, tell SWAT to stand down." Danny locked eyes with Cole. "I changed my mind. Jails too good for you. I'm gonna feed you to the lions a piece at a time."

"Do it now, McGarrett, or the kiddies get to see their Danno die." Cole pressed the cool metal against Danny's throat. "The clock is ticking."

Grace remained where she was, suddenly unsure of what to do. Her Williams' tough attitude crumbled away to reveal the terrified teenager beneath. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, hugging her brother tightly to shield him from the horror unfolding in front of them.

"I'm gonna reach into my pants pocket for my cell." Steve used his thumb and forefinger to lift the device out. "Take it easy, I'll make the call."

"Good choice."

The tension between Danny and Cole ramped up a notch as they listened intently to Steve's conversation with the SWAT leader. It was as if the very air around them had become charged, and Danny was sure it would only take a tiny spark to light the fire, plunging them into chaos. Something he couldn't allow, at least not while Grace and Charlie were still in harm's way.

"Get them out of here, Steve." Danny lowered his arms, and cradled his injured arm to his chest, letting out a pained groan in the process.

"Hey!" Cole jabbed the gun into Danny's shoulder. "I said keep your hands behind your head."

Instead of complying Danny gave Cole a cold hard stare. "I've had plenty of free time lately. Done some reading. Learned a few things about chimps."

"If I wanted a nature lesson I would have asked." Cole wiped his brow with the back of his hand.

"They're fascinating creatures, chimps. Similar to humans."

"Keep your mouth shut." Cole spat the words, his face flushed red with annoyance.

"The first strategy chimps use to become alpha male is to be as big and as strong and intimidating as possible."

H50 H50 H50 H50 H50

Steve shoved his cell back into his pocket. He was far from onboard with what he could see and hear, but understood what Danny was trying to do. The Ex-FBI agent was slowly unravelling with each and every word.

"Gracie, we need to move now." Before she even had time to react to her uncle's words he was wrenching Charlie from her arms. Charlie didn't need any encouragement, clambering up Steve's long frame and wrapping himself around him like a spider monkey clinging to its mother.

"Run!" Steve bellowed.

Grace didn't question him - her trust in her Uncle Steve was unflinching. She ran a few feet, blood pounding in her ears. Tripping over her own feet, she stumbled. A firm hand grabbed her arm, catching her before she fell.

"Danno." She sobbed, turning toward her savior.

Steve shifted Charlie up higher and nudged Grace forward. "Danno's good. Keep moving."

"Is the bad man going to hurt Danno?" Charlie voice trembled.

Steve blew out a slow long breath, trying to stay calm. "No one's gonna hurt your dad."

H50 H50 H50 H50 H50

Danny responded a split second after he heard his partner's shout. He launched himself at Cole. Not back to full fitness, his movements were sloppy, giving the Ex-agent the upper hand.

Cole struck Danny across the face with the gun, sending him sprawling to the ground. He quickly pushed himself back up onto his knees, eyes remaining fixed rebelliously on Cole.

Blood dripped from Danny's nose and down onto his chin. He licked his lips. "You didn't think this through very well, huh?"

"How'd you figure that? You forget I'm the one still holding the gun." Cole held the weapon with both hands.

The sudden act of aggression reignited the shrill screams of the chimps. Danny ducked his head, visibly shaken by the noise. He clenched his fists in an attempt to hide the slight tremble of his fingers. Sweat beaded on his forehead.

"Not so ballsy, now." Cole laughed as he bounced on his toes, his smug attitude returning. "Shit, if this is how they get with us outside, that must have been some ride in there. I can see it's tripping you out right now."

Danny sucked in a deep breath and willed himself to keep it together. "To survive in a tough jungle environment you need allies, someone to watch your back. Something you've always seemed to lack."

"Is that right? Take a look." Cole jutted his chin out in the direction of where Steve had stood. You're all alone now. No teenage girl to save you. Because you got her killed."

Adrenaline coursed through Danny's veins, and his muscles tensed as a powerful wave of anger and hatred swept over him. "Shut your mouth."

"Shut your mouth. That's all you got? What a waste. I thought you were a tough guy." Cole sneered. "McGarrett was my original target. His dad royally screwed me. But then watching him get all worked up over you. That's just priceless."

"Maybe you didn't hear me the first time. Shut your mouth." Danny lunged forward, body-slamming Cole.

They both went down, wrestling for control of the gun. Danny wrapped his hand around Cole's wrist, holding the weapon away from him. Cole landed a solid punch to Danny's cheek. He struck back, hitting Cole's midsection, hard.

Winded, Cole lost his grip on the gun. Danny hit him again, his fist connecting this time with his jaw. Cole kicked out, his boot striking Danny's injured forearm.

Everything went white for a few seconds, and the pain tore through his body. Danny lost his balance, and it was the opening the Ex-agent needed. He threw Danny to the side and grabbed the weapon. Cole staggered to his feet, firing before Danny had fully recovered. His first shot buried itself in the wooden decking. Danny rolled and as he did he felt the sharp sting of the second bullet grazing his side.

Cole lowered the gun to Danny's head and spoke through labored breaths. "Say goodbye, Williams."

"They have smarts too. Something else you lack." Danny ground out, before squeezing his eyes shut, preparing for the inevitable.

"What the fuck are you babbling about?"

The sound of gunshots rang out. Danny was now wide eyed as he watched Cole crumple to the ground next to him, the weapon discharging mere inches from Danny's head. The Ex-FBI agent opened his mouth to speak, but the only thing that gurgled from his lips was blood. He choked a few times, spraying Danny's face with a red mist. Danny looked away, and saw the rest of the Five-0 team approach, guns still trained on Cole.

The need to get up and check Grace and Charlie was overwhelming, but his body wouldn't respond. He'd became disconnected from his surroundings, the loud ringing in his ears, making it impossible to focus. And yet he knew he was being watched, not just by those coming to his aid, but by another. He strained to look toward the enclosure. Catching a glimpse of a solitary chimp, sitting silently, looking through the plexiglass at him. The large male seemed unperturbed by his companions who continued to holler and beat the ground.  _Roscoe_.

Danny drifted back to that fateful day when he'd almost lost everything. He'd come full circle, but this time the chimps were nothing more than observers. His memories were sketchy, but he had a vague recollection of his first encounter with this animal. He'd been the first to spot Danny when he entered their domain. Jess' words replayed in his mind " _He's probably the only one you'd be safe with."_ Danny's heart sank.

_How ironic that Roscoe's actions caused her death._

**~ to be continued ~**


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As some of you may have already guessed following Cole's demise, this story is coming to an end. I hope you all enjoy this last chapter.
> 
> A huge thank you to Phoebe for editing this. It was only meant to be about 10 chapters long when we started editing. Still not sure what happened.

"Will you stay put?" Steve schooled his features to hide the worry that gnawed away at him. He crouched next to Danny, one hand firmly planted on his partner's chest.

"Grace and Charlie. Need to see them" Danny gasped, sweat mingling with the blood spatter on his face, as he resisted his friend's attempt to keep him on the ground.

"We already established that, and you're still not listening." Steve pinned Danny with a hard stare. "Keep still and let the EMT do her job."

"I'm good. It's just a scratch, right?" Propped up awkwardly on his elbows, Danny looked down at the wound and then to the medic who was trying to treat him.

She shook her head and smiled. "I wouldn't go as far as to say you're good, but yes, the bullet only grazed your side."

"Hear that? Now let me up." He wrapped his fingers around Steve's wrist and tried to dislodge his friend's hand from where it had become melded to his chest.

"Damn it, Danny. Look around you. We're in the middle of a damn crime scene." Steve growled, snatching his hand from Danny's tight grip, and adjusted his position so he was kneeling. He grabbed Danny by the shoulders and forced him to lay flat on his back. "Not to mention your face is covered in Cole's blood."

Danny grimaced and rolled his head to one side. A couple of HPD officers were taping off the area. An empty black body bag had been dropped in the space between himself and Cole. Closing his eyes, he let his friend's words sink in. His Neanderthal partner did have a point. His kids had been through enough. That didn't stop him from needing one thing.

"Steve, I have to see them."

"Danno." Steve tapped his best friend's cheek to get his attention. "I know you do, and they want to see you too. But not like this, and definitely not here."

Danny seemed to consider his words before giving a despairing shrug.

"Someplace else then? Help me move." Danny held Steve's gaze, hoping for him to acquiesce. There was a glimmer of a smile, but it soon faded when Steve broke eye contact to watch Cole's corpse being readied for transport.

Steve scrubbed his face before pinching the bridge of his nose. He looked up at the waiting EMT. "Can you get him cleaned up a little and stop by the zoo's main entrance before heading to the ER?"

"Of course, Commander. Give us five, ten minutes." The female medic moved aside to allow her colleague to manoeuvre the gurney close to Danny. "Detective Williams, we need to transfer you to the ambulance."

"Fantastic, the sooner I get to see my kids the better."

"You're a stubborn sonuvabitch, you know that? Now, let them take care of you and leave the rest to me." Steve patted Danny's thigh.

Danny swallowed past the lump of emotion lodged in his throat. "Thanks, babe."

H50 H50 H50 H50 H50

One of the EMTs opened the ambulance doors, allowing a warm breeze to flow into the cool interior.

Danny sucked in a sharp, pained breath. He pressed his hand against his side, trying to ride out the discomfort that flared as he changed position.

"You really shouldn't be sitting up, Detective Williams." The medic gave him a disapproving look.

"Just while I see my kids, please." Danny swung his leg over the side of the gurney.

"Fine, five minutes."

"Thank you. And call me Danny."

"Okay, Danny. My name's Abigail. My partner, Tom, is sitting up front."

Danny glanced over at her colleague before offering a simple smile in response.

Abigail removed the blood pressure cuff from Danny's arm. "That reading was more in the ballpark. I'd liked to keep it there. I realize I might be wasting my time saying this, but try to stay calm."

"Do I look as bad as I feel?"

She gave him an appraising once over. "I'm not gonna lie. I'm guessing you've looked better. I managed to clean the blood from your face, but there's not much I can do with the bruising around your eyes. I'm surprised your nose isn't broken."

"We're made of tough stuff, us Williams." Danny took a couple of shaky deep breaths, trying to control his emotions when he spotted Steve and his kids heading toward them.

"A tough exterior, maybe." Abigail rubbed his upper arm to get his attention back. "Hey, Danny. If it looks like it's getting too much for you, or them, I'll step in. Okay?"

All Danny could manage was a nod. He felt his heart breaking, and yet, at the same time a sense of relief washed over him at seeing both his kids whole and physically unarmed. Steve lifted Charlie up and into the back of the ambulance. He was swamped by a large blanket which dragged on the floor, making him appear a lot smaller than he did the last time Danny saw him.

Charlie didn't move from where Steve had deposited him. His eyes were puffy and his nose rosey red, a stark contrast to his much too pale face. Grace hung back, until she couldn't take the excruciatingly painful silence any longer.

"Come on, Charlie. Give Danno a hug." Grace climbed in next to her brother. She had yet to make eye contact with her dad, instead focusing on her little brother.

Danny couldn't blame either of them for being apprehensive. The last time they'd spoken, Charlie was apologizing for peeing his pants and he'd reprimanded Grace for not following his instructions.

"I'm sorry..." Danny said, his voice trailing off, dropping his gaze.

Charlie hesitantly took his dad's hand in his. Danny instantly tugged him near and Charlie flopped forward hiding his face in his dad's lap. Danny ran his fingers through his son's blonde locks, his other hand rubbing slow circles on his back.

"Everything's okay, You're both safe now."

"Danno…" Grace paused and swallowed hard, tears welling up in her eyes. "I'm sorry I didn't do as you asked."

"What you did was stupid, but brave. I am so proud of you, both of you. You hear me, Tiger?" Keeping one hand firmly planted on Charlie's back Danny pulled Grace into a sideways hug. "I love you."

Grace blinked and the tears streamed down her cheeks. "I love you more, Dad."

"Charlie, look at me." Danny watched patiently as his son turned his head and stared up at him. He allowed Danny to brush his fringe from his eyes. "There you are. Daddy has to get checked out at the hospital. So I need you to stay with Uncle Steve. Can you do that for me?"

Charlie slowly stood and nodded. "Can I sleep in your bed tonight?"

"Yeah, of course you can." Danny kissed his forehead. "I love you."

"Love you, Danno."

Grace nudged her brother to the rear of the ambulance and back into Steve's arms.

"You gonna be okay, Buddy?" Steve asked before allowing Abigail to close the doors.

"I am now." Danny wiped a stray tear from his face with the back of his hand.

H50 H50 H50 H50 H50

_Two months later…_

"Hurry up, Danno." Charlie bounced excitedly while clutching two safety harnesses. "One's for you."

"Yeah, we're all waiting, Danno." Steve grinned mischievously.

Grace giggled, hand over her mouth. She couldn't hide how much she was enjoying making her dad squirm.

Danny made a face, sticking out his bottom lip.

"It'll be fun." Grace protested in mock disappointment. "Come on, Dad, stop being a spoilsport."

"Fun, is sitting in the shade, drinking a cold beer, while watching Superman try to stay upright on a lump of wood."

"Danno, they don't make surfboards out of wood anymore."

"You're kidding me. I never knew that." That remark earned Danny a loud sigh from his daughter.

"Uncle Steve would be Silver Surfer. He's in Jerry's comics." Charlie interrupted. He stuck out his bottom lip when his dad didn't acknowledge him.

Steve almost laughed out loud when he noticed the face Charlie's was making. One Danny made frequently.

"Great idea, Kiddo." Steve held out his hand and the two fist bumped.

"Hey, come here." Danny waved Grace near. When she reached him he wrapped his arms around her, kissing the top of her head. "I'm only messing with you. This place looks amazing. What's with all the colors?"

Danny, Steve and the two kids stood at the center of a busy climbing gym. An array of brightly painted walls in varied shapes and sizes lined the small arena. Many of them already crawling with climbers, most of them families enjoying their weekend.

"Really? You think it's amazing?" Grace pulled away, an excited twang in her question.

"Totally. Now tell me all about it."

"You remember last year's Aloha Camp?"

"How could I forget? If the list of 'must haves' didn't give me a heart attack, the list of activities did."

"It wasn't that bad." Grace scolded.

"My teenage daughter, jet skiing, ocean kayaking, wakeboarding, zip lining - to mention just a few." Danny waved his hands through the air, pacing as he reeled off the list.

Steve raised both eyebrows and stared at his partner "Don't remind me. I can still remember the endless rants I had to endure while Gracie was away."

"Danno." Charlie jiggled up and down impatiently between the two men. "Hurry up."

"Do you want to know about this place or not?" Grace glanced over to one of the large climbing walls, eager to start.

"Hold on Charlie, let your sister finish."

"I learned to climb during Aloha camp, and Mr and Mrs Hollybrook said this was one of Jess' hobbies."

Charlie jumped up and down in front of his sister. "Tell Danno about the colors."

"I'm gonna, Charlie." Grace glowered at her brother. "Each climb is graded so they've color coded the walls to make it easier to follow. Plus there lots of different routes so more people can climb at one time."

"What color are we, Charlie?" Danny rested one hand in his son's shoulder.

"Green." Charlie's smile was infectious.

Danny grinned back, ruffling Charlie's hair. "My favorite."

"Mr Williams are you ready to start?" A member of staff, wearing a bright red t-shirt with the words  _The Rock Club_  emblazoned across the front, approached them. "My name's Lauren, and I'll be instructing you today."

"Detective. Daddy's a detective." Charlie beamed up at his dad with pride.

"Are they really necessary?" Danny pointed to the harnesses Charlie held. "And what about a helmet?"

"Sorry, Detective Williams. At this stage you don't need a harness, but Charlie has to wear one, and he really wants you to also…" She trailed off awkwardly, her face flushing the same color as her top.

"And the helmet?" Danny crossed his arms.

Lauren fidgeted uneasily under his scrutiny. "Head protection isn't required indoors, and all the walls have thick safety mats at the bottom."

Steve reached for a harness. "Let me have one, Kiddo. I'll help your dad put it on."

"I'm more than capable." Danny snagged one of the straps. "Haven't you got a gargantuan wall to climb?"

Grace sighed loudly, and shook her head. "Don't worry, they're always like this."

"Uncle Steve's a SEAL." Charlie shouted.

Danny snatched the piece of equipment from Steve grasp.

Lauren cleared her throat. "Let's get started. I'm going to teach you how to belay, and then there's a short test to pass before you can climb."

Danny glared at his partner. "Hear that, now scoot, Steven. And Grace, be careful."

"I've done this before." She rolled her eyes at him before picking up her own gear from a nearby cart. "Don't climb without calling me over first. I promised mom I'd video you both."

"Oh great. Don't share it on Instagram. Last thing I need is one of the team getting hold of it."

Grace tossed the safety apparatus over her shoulder and walked toward one on the many climbing walls that surrounded them. She looked back briefly. "That's okay, I'll use Snapchat."

"I'm gonna confiscate your cell if you do." Danny called after her, shaking his head and laughing when she stuck her tongue out at him.

"Come on, Danno." Charlie whined.

"Let Lauren get you set up. I'll be there in a sec, I need to speak to your Uncle Steve first."

"Okay." Charlie reluctantly continued after Lauren.

Steve heard the exchange and gave his friend a concerned look. "What's up?"

Danny watched his son. "Thank you for this."

"No need to thank me, buddy."

"Yeah, there is. I may be new to this, but personal tuition for me and Charlie is not how these places generally work. I'm guessing you pulled some strings, and I bet this wasn't cheap either."

"Worth every cent, Danno. Look at him." Steve smiled as he watched Charlie giggling at something Lauren said.

"I know. I can't remember the last time I heard him laugh. And Grace." Danny turned to see his daughter start to climb. Sucking in a deep breath.

"Everything okay?"

"A little overwhelmed, maybe. And I don't want to let the little guy down." Danny rubbed the scar running along his forearm.

"Hey, I wouldn't have agreed to this if I didn't think you could handle it. Strong legs, flexibility and technique. Remember those three and you've got this."

"Thanks, babe."

"Thank me by having some fun. Go. Charlie's waiting and I'm paying by the hour."

"I guess I'm paying for lunch, huh?"

"That was a given. Charlie's already checked out the menu at the diner here. Apparently, they have the best ice cream menu in the whole wide world."

On hearing that Danny was gone. "Hey, Charlie. I hear you checked out the menu without me."

**~ the end ~**


End file.
